School Bus Insurance - The government has suspended paying for insurance cover for school buses. About 1,400 education officials were yesterday told that the Ministry had not remitted money for the insurance. The Kenya secondary School Heads Association Eastern chairman Onesmus Muringe said there has been no communication from the Ministry of Education on the withdrawal of the scheme. Muringe was speaking in Mombasa during the KSSHA Eastern branch conference at the Sheikh Khalifa. Muringe said since late last year, the burden of insurance covers has been left for individual schools. Several school buses having been grounded for lack of insurance.

He said education players were not consulted before the insurance was withdrawn from late December."We were shocked and are still waiting to hear a word from the ministry. Such extra expenses cannot be accommodated by the schools," he said.

Muringe called on the government to hire teachers saying there is an acute shortage countrywide. He said the government only replaces those who die. The school heads, he added, should be given the authority to hire teachers.

The Coast PC Ernest Munyi, who officially opened the conference on education reforms, urged all managers to have in place competent board of governors who can run schools properly."You should all strive to be excellent managers and continue to develop your schools into centres of academic excellence," the PC said. He said mismanagement, lack of a proper board of governors and unaccountability are to blame for poor education standards.

The school heads are meeting in Mombasa for their annual meeting and the issue of drugs and substance abuse among students will top the discussions during the five-day conference.

Among those invited for presentations are officials from the National agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse, Kenya Institute of Education, Unicef, among other education players.

Muringe said heads have been warming up to education reforms which are aimed at ensuring there is policy changes in the education system.

This is the first time the provincial conference is being held in Mombasa.

Maureen Mudi

Nairobi Star/24/03/2011