Private School Started in 1993 Closes
Private School Started in 1993 Closes
Several days before the start of the Kenya Certificate of elementary Education (KCPE), a private elementary school in Nairobi announced its closure.Eastend Junior Academy informed parents and guardians of the closure ‘for good’ in a note addressed to them.
The directors explained the closure in the notification by pointing to the unfavorable business climate in the nation. The hard business environment “is exerting a lot of pressure on the Directors, and due to their age, they have chosen to retire and close the school from next year,” the statement added.The directors “would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the support that you have given to the above school” and “… are both over 70 years old,” the notice states.The school was established in 1993, and the initial KCPE was completed in 2000.
A few days before the KCPE, which is scheduled to begin on October 30, the closure was announced.Parents received assurances from the directors that the office would remain open to offer any support needed.The notification also stated, recalling the school’s earlier glory days, “Since it began, the Directors have dedicated their time and resources to make it what it is today.According to data from the Economic Survey of 2023, more over 7,000 private schools have been permanently shut down over the previous four years since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Around 967 private schools were shut down in 2022, and those that were still open had to raise tuition to stay in business.The government unveiled a stimulus program to assist private schools with loan repayment during the pandemic’s height.The stimulus monies did not materialize, though, and several schools were forced to turn to commercial banks with strict loan conditions.
