NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 2 –The Ministry of Education has set the date for half term break for secondary schools in the country for November 19, 2021.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Jwan said in a statement to all Regional Directors of Education and all County Directors of Education on Tuesday that the break will end on November 23.
Jwan directed the education heads to provide the information to all Principals of Secondary Schools within their areas of jurisdiction.
“As you are aware, the Ministry of Education issued school term dates vide Circular Ref No. MOE/CONF/G5 dated 3rd December 2020. It has been decided that the half term break will commence on Friday, 19th November 2021. The students will report back on Tuesday 23rd November 2021,” he said.
This directive comes at a time when schools across the country have witnessed increased incidences of fire outbreaks the latest being in Buru Buru Girls High School on Sunday.
On Monday, the school’s management announced its closure, sending students home until further notice following the fire incident at one its dormitories that left at least 20 hospitalised, one with serious injuries.
The school’s Board of Management Chairman Lazarus Opicho announced the decision to close the after a stormy meeting with parents.
“Parents will be allowed to go home with the girls and the date when they are supposed to come back will be communicated,” he told the parents.
There was a stand-off between the parents and the school management since Saturday night when they were not allowed to go back home with their children after the fire incident.
According to the school management, the fire started at a cubicle in Kingdom dormitory with reports that there had been warnings from unnamed students that they will torch the school.
“Several students were rushed to hospital after inhaling the smoke fumes,” an official at the school said, “We don’t have injuries from the fire.”
But video footage that went viral on social media showed some of the students jumping off from higher floors as onlookers watched helplessly after they were denied access to the school to take part in the emergency rescue efforts.