In an interview on Friday, the Director of Communication
and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana
Ndoro, confirmed the raids although he could not give the number of schools
that were caught on the wrong side of the law.
He said there was strict monitoring to ensure compliance.
“Yes, the ministry has been carrying out raids in schools.
This is part of efforts to ensure that our institutions comply with the
directive that prohibits the holding of holiday lessons for examination and
non-examination classes.
“The number of schools is not important at least at this
juncture. What is important is that we have been encouraging schools to take
the Government directives seriously through monitoring what is going on in
schools,” said Mr Ndoro.
The directive not to hold holiday learning was announced in
a statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Moses Mhike.
He clarified that they were not going to any holiday
lessons in schools for all classes including examinations classes, arguing that
there was uninterrupted teaching and learning in schools that does not warrant
any extra learning during the school vacation.
Mr Mhike emphasised the need for stakeholders to work
together to ensure an end to the malpractice by schools and teachers urging
citizens to notify the authorities about any schools not complying with the
directive.
“If anyone hears of any school that is not in compliance
with the directive, kindly notify us,” said Mr Mhike.
However, despite the directive and the warning, some
schools and teachers have been conducting holiday lessons in defiance of the
directive by the Government with reports of learners instructed not to wear
uniforms to schools so that the schools conducting the lessons are not easily
identified.
Enquiries made by the Sunday News revealed that the lessons
range between US$10 and US$20 per subject depending on the level.
Most individual teachers who conduct holiday lessons are
charging US$10 per subject for the duration of the holiday and those that are
teaching Maths and Science subjects are the most on demand.
“There is a ready market for those teaching Maths and
Science subjects. Parents are the ones feeding this illegality that the
Government is trying to contain. They are willing to go the extra mile to
ensure that their children have the best grades. But it is somehow taking the
confidence off the school system and by disallowing holiday lessons, the
Government is working on restoring that lost confidence.
“The safety of learners especially girls is also at stake
for those going for holiday lessons in houses,” said an educator who requested
anonymity.
The teachers have, however, been advertising on different
social media platforms.
“Pure Maths, Additional Maths, Physics, Chemistry and
Biology lessons in progress for both O and A-level classes,” reads a message on
a WhatsApp group where a teacher was advertising the services. Sunday News
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