Kenya plans to abolish boarding schools next year for students up to grade nine (about 14-15 years), which includes primary and junior secondary schools.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang told a head teachers’ conference that parents would have to take their children to day schools.
He said the government had made the decision to allow children to be under the care of their parents or guardians. Children from nomadic pastoralist communities will however be exempt from the rules.
Kenya has about 28% of its primary school children in boarding facilities, he said, noting that the number was relatively high compared with other countries.
He said it was the responsibility of parents to take care of their children, as first educators, saying “we can’t outsource parenting to teachers”.
“We need to start socialising ourselves that we need to be with our children, and the only way we shall be with these children is for them to be in a day school environment,” he said.
