Schools in Tana North and Tana River subcounties risk closure as families migrate to fallback grazing fields in Tana Delta.
The department of Education is carrying out an exercise to ascertain the number of students and schools affected as the national examination is around the corner.
County director of Education Khalif Hassan said the drought has affected education.
“There are many areas in Tana North and Tana River subcounties where families have migrated with livestock to Tana Delta, due to drought. Students are also bearing the brunt,” he said.
The official advised parents who are migrating in pursuit of water and pastures to enroll their children in low-cost boarding schools for continuity in learning.
“We have opened low-cost boarding schools in Oloserea, Bangale, Balambala, Mororo Primary and Waldena. We are asking parents who migrate with livestock to leave their children in those schools,” he said.
Hassan urged parents who have moved to Tana Delta to enroll their children to nearby schools, saying they will be accepted without uniforms.
Teachers employed by school boards are also not receiving salaries as a result of a decrease in parents' income, threatening the completion of the syllabus.
“If a community's source of water has dried up, teachers and syllabus coverage are affected because students are not in school," Hassan said.
The official however encouraged head teachers to refrain from expelling students for failing to pay fees.
He said they should instead start the food for fees programme by allowing parents to bring livestock and other farm produce in place of money.
Tana River has not had rains for the last four seasons resulting in the drying up of water pans and poor regeneration of pastures.
The education sector too has suffered due to the vagaries of the prolonged drought.
According to the National Drought Management Authority Drought Early Warning Bulletin for September, Tana River is in the alarm-worsening drought phase.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
