The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has directed school heads to be vigilant amidst increased cases of school fires across the country.
Through a circular dated Friday, September 13, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia also instructed principals to work closely with the authorities to prevent and deal with cases of arson within the institutions.
She also instructed the management of the institutions to ensure that the students are supervised at all times.
"To this end, together with the Deputy Heads of the Institution and Senior Masters in charge of boarding programmes, you, are required to be vigilant and remain in school at all times to ensure learners' safety," the TSC boss instructed.
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Meanwhile, Macharia noted that there were schools that were not compliant with the safety standards issued by the government. Further, she warned that action would be taken against those who are not compliant.
“The Commission shall take firm disciplinary action against those found to have flouted the guidelines stipulated in the Manual, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Regulations for Teachers and the Code of Conduct and Ethics,” read the circular in part.
School fires have been witnessed across a number of schools within the last seven days.
In some instances, such as the Hillside Endarasha Academy, some students have lost their lives in the fire incidents. As of the time of publication, the death toll at the Nyeri County school stood at 21.
The cause of the fire is yet to be known even as homicide detectives investigate the cause of the Endarasha School fire.
On the other hand, the government is expected to conduct nationwide inspections of schools to ensure that learning institutions are adhering to the safety guidelines issued by the government.
