- Trust and credibility damaged by lack of foresight and planning, what plans have they made?
- Midnight announcement of postponed school reopening may go down in history as yet another blunder in a long line of missteps.
Image: NAIROBI CITY COUNTY
In the ongoing struggle to uphold the standards of Kenya's education system, it appears we've been thrust into yet another chapter marked by mismanagement and lack of consideration for the well-being of our students and their families.
The recent decision by the Ministry of Education to postpone the reopening of schools for the second term by one week, announced in the dead of night at 1:20 a.m., has left many scratching their heads and others downright furious.
As the rain pours down and floods wreak havoc across the country, it was apparent to everyone except, it seems, those at the helm of the Education ministry, that reopening schools would be a risky endeavor.
Yet, instead of heeding the warnings and making an early and timely decision, the ministry chose to wait until the eleventh hour, or rather, the wee hours of the morning, to drop the bombshell announcement.
The timing of this decision is not only questionable but downright absurd. With students already en route to their schools and some even arriving at their gates, one wonders what the plan is for the next week. Are we to believe that the rains will magically cease within the next seven days, allowing for a smooth reopening?
And what about the students who had already embarked on their journeys, only to be turned back at the last minute? Will the ministry arrange transportation for them, ensuring their safety and preventing further inconvenience to their families?
It's not just the timing of the announcement that raises eyebrows but also the lack of foresight and planning on the part of the ministry. Why did it take until the early hours of the morning to make this decision? Were they hoping against hope that the rain would miraculously stop overnight? Or perhaps they simply forgot to check the weather forecast until it was almost too late.
Parents across the country are rightfully angry and inconvenienced by this last-minute change of plans. Many had already made arrangements for their children's return to school, only to have those plans thrown into disarray by the ministry's incompetence.
Some have incurred additional costs, whether it be for transportation or other expenses, while others find themselves scrambling to make alternative arrangements for their children's care during the unexpected extra week at home. But perhaps most concerning of all is the impact this debacle has had on the trust and credibility of the education ministry.
By waiting until the 11th hour to make a decision, they have only reinforced the perception that they are out of touch with the needs and concerns of the people they are supposed to serve. How can we trust them to make sound decisions in the future when they have demonstrated such a lack of foresight and competence in the present?
In the end, the midnight announcement of the postponement of school reopening may go down in history as yet another blunder in a long line of missteps by the education ministry.
Let us hope that they learn from this debacle and strive to do better in the future. As for now, we can only shake our heads and wonder: what were they thinking? And more importantly, when will they start thinking with the well-being of our children in mind?
In the realm of education, it seems that even the most basic decisions are subject to the whims of the night-runners. But it's time for the ministry to step out of the shadows and into the light of day, where decisions are made with clarity, foresight, and above all, concern for the welfare of our students and their families.
Officer, research planning and strategy, Media Council of Kenya