Nonoperational private schools leaves over 55,000 learners stranded

Sad news continued to hit the education sector in the country after revelations came out that 207 private schools had closed down permanently.

This situation has left atleast 55,000 learners not only helpless but also stranded on the fence after they reported back to school only to find their institutions shut down following the striking of Covid-19 pandemic which shuttered the progress of the once flourishing industry in the education sector.

Private institutions rely entirely on school fees to make ends meet and when Covid-19 struck, that is when all hell broke loose. They couldn’t move.

Kenya Private Schools Chief Executive Peter Ndolo has disclosed in a media interview that parents have since been told to transfer their children to public schools because the current challenge cannot be reversed at the moment.

“The number could even be higher, as not all schools are members of the association,” he explained.

Education cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha ordered learners to start reporting back to school on October 12^th, among them Grade 4, 8 and Form 4, but for some, they found their schools locked, demolished or converted into rental rooms.

In fact, Homenews.co.ke has learnt that most of the private school owners decided to switch business by converting class rooms to rental houses due to difficult economic times.

For instance, Dagoretti North based Thorn Schools is already converted into rental units by the owners who have reportedly asked parents to move their children to public institutions.

In Kirinyaga County, the same story is repeated with Mwea Brethren School having been converted into a chicken farm.

Kakamega, Kisumu and Bungoma Counties have faced their fair share of challenges as most private schools have been closed down permanently after owners changed their mind along the sway to other alternative business ventures.

The private school owners, through their association, have been pushing the government to support them the same way that have been doing with public schools but this is yet to be agreed upon.