Home Tags Posts tagged with "CS George Magoha"
Tag:

CS George Magoha

Education

Government Announces New School Re-opening Date

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

The National government through the Ministry of Education has announced a new date for the re-opening of schools.

Education CS George Magoha through a press statenment on Saturday directed schools to resume on Thursday, August 18, 2022.

The disruptions on school opening day is due to the ongoing election process where the tallying of the election results is still going on.

In his statement, Magoha clarified that students will no longer be required to report to school on Monday, as earlier communicated.

He had earlier announced that schools will be re-opened Monday, August 15, 2022.

Magoha said the ministry has been informed that the process of tallying ballots may still be ongoing on the aforementioned date.

The CS apologized for any inconvenience caused and said his communication supersedes any communication made earlier on basic education institutions.

Schools are traditionally used as polling and tallying centres every election year.

A gazette notice by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission indicated that almost 250 schools will be used as tallying centres.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Others

Education Sector At Risk Of Facing Crisis, School Heads Warn CS Magoha

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Kenya’s education sector is at risk of facing a crisis after the midterm break, school heads have warned CS George Magoha.

Through the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Chairman Kahi Indimuli, the heads have decried Prof Magoha’s leniency to parents over school fees payment.

According to Indimuli, schools are currently facing financial constraints and wanted parents to be pushed to settle their arrears.

“Schools are only having a few percent of parents clearing the fees balances with the largest percentage failing to clear while others send their children to school without fees,” Indimuli complained. 

CS Magoha had earlier asked headteachers to allow students to learn without interference. 

The CS in March 2021, released a Ksh15 billion capitation fee for students and pledged to ensure schools get more fundings. 

Headteachers, however, complained that the amount was less and couldn’t meet all their needs. 

On July 26, 2021, all learners will start their first term for the 2021 school calendar. The term will end on October 1, 2021. 

Students will rest for nearly 10 days before they begin the second term from October 11 to December 23, 2021. 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

CS Magoha Speaks on Proposal to Tripple University Fees After an Uproar

by Yahil Felix
written by Yahil Felix

On 3rd December 2020, the government announced a threefold school fee increment in universities and a reduction of the loan from the Higher Education Loans Board.

This means that parents would part with new whooping cash of 48k from Ksh 16000 and the HELB loan reduced from Ksh 45000 to Ksh 37000.

This move by the government caused a lot of uproar from the public with university students swearing to go on a rampage. It ellicited mixed reactions from members of the public some supporting it but large faction criticizing such a move amid tough economic times.

No sooner had the news gone viral all over social and mainstream media than the students especially the University of Nairobi went on a rampage, student leaders particularly University of Nairobi led by the students’ president Eddie Mwendwa went to the media to denounce it.

Amidst the controversy, Prof. George Magoha during his visit at Kapsoit Secondary School in Kericho County said that the proposal to triple fees has not been approved.

In his defense, Magoha stated that discussion over the matter is underway in parliament by the executive who will sit and talk about it before it is passed.

“The government of the Republic of Kenya does not wake up and say school fees as increased four times. I would want to assure that this is a covid period and that the executive arm of government is yet to sit and consider and debate.” Magoha stated saying that the children are ours and we are humans.

According to reports, Magoha adviced the parliament to be prudent and practice due diligence in handling the matter citing demonstrations from university students that might bring destruction of lots of property.

Magoha added that the consultation meeting may necessiate the inclusion of university students’ leaders.

1 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

Magoha Slaps Teachers With New Directives as Schools Reopen

by Jacinta Mbithi
written by Jacinta Mbithi

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Professor George Magoha has issued new directives to teachers as schools kicked off phased reopening on Monday, October 12.

Speaking after visiting Olympic Primary School in Kibera to assess the learning situation after grade four, class eight and form four students reported back to school, CS Magoha asked teachers in schools across the country to draft a list of students with pre-existing conditions so as to provide them with extra care.

“I urge Principals and teachers to compile a list of learners with pre-existing conditions, for example, children with asthma, so that necessary attention can be given to them,” said Magoha.

Magoha asked schools to also liaise with health facilities aligned to them to offer care to the students with pre-existing conditions.

The CS urged schools to ensure the mandatory use of face masks and thermoguns.

With the rising cases of teenage pregnancies reported across the country during the pandemic, Magoha encouraged those affected to report back to school.

“For those children who are pregnant, I assure them that they have nothing to fear and should come back to school. Teachers should be empathic to them and give them assistance,” he stated.

Parents have expressed their concerns over schools fees after being affected by the negative economic impact of Covid-19, but Magoha reiterated that no child should be sent home because of failing to pay school fees.

He added that students should not be excluded in the resumption plans after failing to enroll for online classes when schools closed due to the pandemic.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Politics

Millicent Omanga Badly Attacks CS Magoha Over Order to Open Schools

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Nominated senator Millicent Omanga has badly attacked Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha over his announcement on opening of schools.

Omanga in a Tuesday night tweet took on the CS, arguing that it was not in order for him to give parents only five days to prepare for the phased reopening of schools.

Schools across the country are set to begin a phased reopening on October 12.

CS Magoha on Tuesday ordered Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 student back to classes after a 205-day hiatus occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

Already, teachers are in their second week of school with no learners.

However, Omanga argues that CS Magoha is incompetent. She says that many parents have been out of work for over 7 months, with some losing their businesses which are now trying to catch up.

It is because of this reason that Omanga says it is impossible for parents to prepare within the five given days.

According to Omanga, Covid-19 has badly exposed CS Magoha’s ‘stinking incompetence’ in the education ministry.

“Many parents have been out of work for over 7 months. Businesses are trying to catch up. And you’re giving parents 5 days to prepare for reopening of schools? If there’s one thing COVID-19 has exposed in the education ministry, it is George Magoha’s stinking incompetence,” she tweeted.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

Colleges And Universities to Remain Closed Until January 2021

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said that all higher learning institutions will remain closed until January 2021.

In an announcement made on Thursday July 30th, 2020, Prof Magoha noted that colleges and universities are not Covid-19 compliant.

Several Counties have been using public learning institutions as Covid-19 isolation centers.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday cleared doubts on reopening of learning institutions, saying the government will give a clear roadmap in a few days’ time.

The President directed CS Magoha to call for an education stakeholders meeting to discuss how schools, colleges and universities will be reopened.

He said the stakeholders meeting will be called within a few days’ time and official dates for schools and higher institutions learning institutions to reopen will be given.

Universities and colleges were scheduled to be reopen in September.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Latest News

Magoha fires warning to headteachers as KCPE exams kick off

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Mahoga on Tuesday morning warned headteachers against blocking class eight candidates from sitting for their national examinations.

Magoha, who witnessed the opening of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in Mombasa, said every child should be allowed to sit for their papers.

“I want to take this opportunity to warn very few centre managers, who may attempt to block children from taking examinations for whatever reasons. You cannot stop a child to sit for an exam because they failed to pay Sh300,”  he said.

The CS reiterated that every child must be given access and if there are any other issues, they will be sorted out later.

At the same time, Magoha said in this year’s KCPE examinations there were very few cases of fake papers being spread around.

“These  exams have been seen for the first time this morning as I had told the nation earlier. Its fidelity is unquestionable,” Magoha said.

He said the good news is that this year,  they did not pick any fake examination papers prior to the starting date.

“We have not picked any fake examinations even though we had a lot of backroom plans by certain teachers in certain hotspots,” he added.

Magoha said parents, teachers and students should not be worried about cheating because there will be 100 percent transition into the secondary school.

For the regions affected by the floods, Magoha said the government has 10 helicopters that will be used to facilitate delivery of the papers in good time.

“The downside of this year’s examinations are the rains that have affected some regions. However, we have 10 helicopters that are at our disposal. No child will miss an examination,” he said.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Others

There will be no fundraising, no prayers in schools during 3rd term, CS Magoha declares

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has banned all non-academic events in schools during third term to curb examination malpractices.

He was speaking at the launch of CBC teacher training session in Machakos.

“I want to be crystal clear that nobody in both private and public institutions will be allowed to interfere with the candidates as they prepare for their examination… So there will be no events in schools, no fundraising, no prayers or any other activities,” Magoha said in Machakos on Wednesday.

Other adjustments will see primary and secondary schools close early to allow standard eight and form four candidates sit national examinations in November.

Magoha said November will exclusively be an examination month, with the rest of learners in primary and secondary schools closing on October 28.

“We know that these events have in past been used for other purposes and this is what we are trying to avoid,” Matiang’i said.

KCSE candidates sitting this year’s examination also sit as a fourth lot of students to take the examinations under new stringent rules to curb cheating.

He added that this will improve preparation for KCPE and KCSE. This year’s KCPE will start from November 1 to 3, while KCSE will run from November 7 to November 30.

Knec data shows that 1.78 million candidates were registered to sit the 2019 examinations, whose registration deadline was February 15.

Of these, 1,089,671 were KCPE candidates while 698,935 students registered for KCSE, from all the 10,304 centres.

The KCPE exams will take place between October 29 and 31.

Rehearsal will be done on October 28 while the 2019 KCSE examination will take place between October 21 and November 27.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrWhatsappTelegramEmail
Load More Posts