NMG Private Schools Expo: Ministry calls for enhanced cybersecurity
From left: Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) Deputy Academic Registrar Johanna Mweu, Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) Chair Charles Ochome, Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) Council member Maxwell Wahome and Education PS for State Department for Implementation of Curriculum Reforms Fatuma Chege during Nation Media Group Private Schools Expo and Conference at Sarit Center on April 2, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Owners of private school encouraged to find alternative funding to manage their institutions.
- Private schools also challenged on their uptake of students with special needs.
The Ministry of Education has challenged parents to be actively involved in ensuring that cybersecurity and parental monitoring is practiced to protect children from harmful content.
This also includes limiting the use of technology to avoid addiction and encourage more practical and group activities.
Speaking during the Nation Media Group (NMG) Private Schools Expo and Conference in Nairobi on Saturday, Education Principal Secretary for State Department for Implementation of Curriculum Reforms Fatuma Chege said:
“It is the responsibility of the parent(s) to be engaged in their child’s education. However, it is the educator’s job to empower the parent to learn how to get involved, especially using gadgets such as mobile phones.”
Ms Fatuma was part of a panel discussion that discussed quality basic education, special needs education and also addressed various concerns of education stakeholders such as availability of resources and the implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
“We have been directed to make sure that resources that are developed or built by public funds - such as playing fields - must be shared as much as possible,” she added.
Other contributors on the panel were Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) Chairman Charles Ochome, Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) Deputy Academic Registrar Johanna Mweu and Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) Council member Maxwell Wahome.
KPSA Chairm Charles Ochome encouraged private school owners to find alternative funding to manage their schools since the government has no obligation to do so. The association has over 10,000 registered private schools countrywide.
“The new curriculum is one of the greatest gifts that Special Needs Education received because we no longer need to compete with abled students. Our students are allowed to take assessments for as long as they need. Some of them could not sit through the assessment for the whole period of time required,” Mr Mweu said
He also challenged private schools on their uptake of students with special needs.
Among the 28 exhibitors are educational institutions, publishers and other players in the education sector who have set up booths to show stakeholders what they offer during the exhibition.
Sunday will be the last day that members of the public with interest in education will be able to visit the expo.
