The Ministry of Education (MOE) has addressed the controversy surrounding the Butere Girls High School play dubbed Echoes of War.
In the ongoing National Drama and Film Festival in Nakuru, the Butere Girls drama students failed to perform the play on their own volition, according to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.
The students had demanded the presence of former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malalah who wrote and directed the play before performing it.
However, this publication has established that Malala wrote the play in violation of the Ministry of Education’s regulations of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival.
Section 9 of the regulations does not allow a non-teacher to direct a school drama item. The rules reserve school drama trainers to teachers and tutors registered by the Teachers Service Commission or lecturers employed by registered post-secondary education institutions.
This publication has verified that Malala is not a registered teacher.
"By allowing Malala to direct the play, the school was in contravention of the regulations of Kenya National Drama and Film Festival," the MOE said.Further, a TSC circular no 14 dated June 13, 2018, on protection of pupils /students states that:
“All principals /head teachers shall ensure that for any co-curricular activity, persons not registered as teachers including teachers whose names have been removed from the register of teachers should not be incorporated in school programmes to teach, handle, manage, coach, supervise and/or assist in the teaching, handling, managing, coaching, supervision of pupils/learners."
