In another move to address the generalized observation in the Ministry of Secondary Education, the Minister, among several measures, has limited classroom population to a maximum 80. As part of the said measures, school authorities are neither allowed to register students nor receive any form of fees before August 15, 2016. The Minister’s instructions were obviously in response to the fact that many school principals or head teachers hurriedly admit students long before the start of the new academic year and along the line receiving all the fees inherent in such admissions.

Such transactions often led to the swelling of classes because, quite often new principals or head teachers appointed in the interim and who have new requests cannot satisfy same, having been pushed to a fait accompli situation. Very often new students and pupils coming even from the school precincts cannot find a place in the establishment while new civil servants and even members of staff may not find a place simply because of the blockage created by the outgoing officers.

The start of admissions only after August 15 will greatly improve the situation and reduce the challenges before the new school year, come September. The measure addresses the question of corruption, but does not necessary solve the wider difficulties involved in the management of classroom sizes. Limiting student intake is obviously a welcome development because the vital study area is not only comfortable but also good for the teacher who can more easily attend to a group of eighty. But in the present circumstances, can the Minister’s instruction be respected to the letter? The answer is a conditional yes.

But that will mean ignoring scores of other children deserving of a good education, but who may have to stay out of school simply because of space. It has been suggested that students can go to other institutions or to private schools; but that defeats the purpose of public education which gives government constitutional responsibility to provide education for citizens and under the best possible conditions. So, attending school in one’s immediate environment is the best solution rather than having to take long distances to secure a place in school.

The Minister obviously grasped the nettle because of the seriousness of the problems we are going to observe in September. This will go well in the rural areas where it is even difficult to fill a classroom. But the biggest challenge in limiting classroom size is going to be in the overcrowded urban neighbourhoods where space is rare to come by. The only way to achieve a lasting solution is in a vast campaign to build many new classrooms, notably in urban areas where the problem is most compelling.