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With increasing concerns about school safety, it is vital to be proactive in checking and understanding the safety protocols in place at your child’s school.
Here’s a guide to the Safety Standards Manual for classrooms and dormitories in schools in Kenya that all institution needs to follow and every parent should check for.
Classrooms
Classrooms are important infrastructures in a school setting since learners spend most of their time in these facilities. It is important to observe the following;
The size of the classroom, in terms of length and width, should be as specified in the Ministry of Education building specifications ie. 7.5m x 5.85m or 7.5m x 6.0m.
Such classrooms should accommodate a maximum of 30 learners in one-seater desks or 40 learners in two- seater desks in line with the provisions of the Ministry of Education circular on Health and Safety Standards in Educational Institutions (2001).
The doorways should be adequate for emergency purposes, open outwards and should not be locked from outside at any time when learners are inside.
For storeyed buildings, the stairways should be wide enough and located at both ends of the building and should be clear of any obstructions at all times.
The construction of stairways should give provision for learners with special needs/disabilities. The handrails in the stairs should be strong and firmly fixed.
The corridors should be both well ventilated and lit. The width should be wide enough for the learners to walk along without bumping into each other.
Classroom windows must be without grills and should be easy to open. The classrooms should be properly lit and ventilated.
The floors should be level and kept clean always. For cemented floors, any cracks should be repaired in good time.
Similarly, for mud walls and floors teachers should ensure that they are regularly smeared with fresh mud and floors smeared with cow dung to prevent the development of cracks and the generation of dust that can pose risks to the health of both teachers and learners.
In all cases, efforts should be made to cement all the classroom floors.
Each block should be fitted with serviced fire extinguishers.
Regular inspection of classroom buildings, halls and stairways should be carried out and immediate measures taken to correct any problems noticed.
The furniture in classrooms, especially the desks, should be appropriate for use by both male and female learners.
Poorly constructed or inappropriate desks can lead to physical deformities such as curvature of spine, contraction of chest, roundness of shoulders or a confirmed stoop. They can also create tension and fatigue among learners.
The class teacher should ensure that the desks are arranged in a manner that facilitates easy and orderly movement of learners in the classroom-ideally each desk should have no more than 3 learners and the space between any two desks should be at least 2 feet.
The positioning of electrical sockets should be beyond the reach of young learners in order to avoid tampering
All buildings and facilities should be accessible by special needs learners.
Dormitories
In boarding schools, dormitories are the single most used physical infrastructure, where learners spend the longest continuous period of time in a day.
It is therefore important to keep these structures clean and properly ventilated. In every school, care should be taken to observe the following
The space between the beds should be at least 1.2 metres while the corridor or pathway space should not be less than 2 metres.
Since sharing of beds is prohibited in schools, admissions should be tied to bed capacity at all times.
All doorways should be wide enough, at least 5 feet wide, and they should open outwards. They must not at any time be locked from outside when learners are inside.
Each dormitory should have a door at each end and an additional emergency exit at the middle. It should be clearly labelled "Emergency Exit".
Dormitory doors should be locked at all times when learners are in class or on the playing fields.
The keys to the doors should be kept by the Dormitory Master/Mistress or the Dormitory Prefect.
Dormitory windows must be without grills and should be easy to open outwards.
Fire extinguishing equipment should be functioning and placed at each exit with fire alarms fitted at easily accessible points.
Regular spot checks by the teachers and the administration should be undertaken before learners retire to bed.
An accurate roll call should be taken every day and records well maintained.
There should be regular patrols by the school security personnel or any other authorised security personnel. No visitor should be allowed in the dormitory.
There should be inspection of hygiene standards of the dormitories and the learners on alternate days of the week.
Bunk beds should be strong and firm and fitted with side-grills to protect young learners against falling off.
Fire Safety Preparedness in Kenyan Schools
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), has outlined comprehensive measures aimed at preventing fire incidents in boarding schools, ensuring the safety of students, staff, and the school community.
The framework requires schools to implement a series of fire safety activities, including the procurement and servicing of essential firefighting equipment such as extinguishers, fire blankets, hose reels, and sand buckets.
Additionally, the guidelines mandate the installation of warning systems such as fire alarms and smoke detectors.
One of the key requirements includes the strategic placement of signage directing individuals to fire assembly points and the display of evacuation maps at key entrances and exits of school buildings.
This is intended to streamline evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.
Moreover, the Ministry recommends labeling all fire exits clearly to enhance accessibility during a potential fire.
Schools are also advised to collaborate with their respective county fire offices to receive comprehensive training and sensitisation on fire safety preparedness.
This collaboration is seen as a vital step in equipping both staff and students with the necessary knowledge to manage fire emergencies effectively.
Evaluation and Monitoring of Fire Safety Standards
In addition to these proactive measures, Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASOs) are tasked with visiting secondary schools every two years to assess compliance with the fire safety regulations.
These officers are supposed evaluate the existing firefighting measures in schools and provide recommendations for improvement, where necessary.
The monitoring process will ensure that schools implement the recommended actions within three to six months of the assessment.
QASOs are expected to submit detailed reports, highlighting areas of concern and offering practical solutions to enhance fire safety standards.
Follow-up visits should also be conducted to ensure that schools adhere to the suggested improvements.
Fire Safety Needs Assessment and Resource Mobilisation
The guidelines emphasise the importance of conducting a needs assessment to determine the specific fire safety equipment required by each school.
The safety sub-committee within each institution is responsible for identifying gaps in fire safety, including equipment, training, and drills. The sub-committee should also decide on the location of fire assembly points and evacuation maps.
To implement the necessary safety measures, schools are encouraged to mobilise resources.
The safety sub-committee is expected to source funds for fire safety equipment, maintenance, and training, ensuring that all schools meet the required fire safety standards.
Support from the State Department of Public Works and the Ministry of Education is supposed to assist schools in building safe physical infrastructure.