KUPPET Faults Government for Negligence in Hillside Endarasha Fire Incident.
After the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire catastrophe, which killed 18 lives and left 14 pupils hospitalized, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has transferred the blame to the government.
Secretary General Akelo Misori chaired a news conference on Friday where KUPPET expressed condolences for the dead pupils and urged schools to adhere to safety protocols.
Misori brought up a similar incident that happened less than five years earlier at Precious Talents Academy, in which a building collapsed, killing eight pupils and injuring 64 more. This incident underscored the failure to implement the safety precautions suggested to the Education Cabinet Secretary at the time.
Thus, he charged that the Ministry of Education, on behalf of the government, was neglecting requests to monitor adherence to the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, 2018.
Misori expressed the need for the government to take serious measures to ensure the safety of schools and prevent future tragedies. He noted that almost five years ago, the country experienced a similar incident at Precious Talents Academy, prompting KUPPET to conduct a study to assess compliance with school safety policies and propose lasting solutions.
He further emphasized that the solution to such disasters is already known, stating that schools must adhere to the safety policies outlined in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya (2018), which provides guidelines for the safety of both learners and the entire school community.
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The union leader emphasized the safety requirements listed in the guide, which include the number of pupils in each space, ventilation, window and classroom sizes, and building materials.
At the time, KUPPET recommended a review and harmonization of all policy instruments and guidelines pertaining to safety, security, and disaster management in the education sector as one of the steps to guarantee children’s safety.
At the same time, the post primary teachers’ union Secretary General urged the country to “re-think the place of boarding schools in our education system.”
KUPPET Faults Government for Negligence in Hillside Endarasha Fire Incident.
