Ministry cancels expulsions

• Schools that expelled students due to poor performance ordered to re-admit them

The Ministry of Education has revoked the expulsion of 520 secondary school students.

The learners were expelled from various schools in West Pokot district for performing poorly in last year’s end term examinations.

Parents said some of the students who allegedly failed to obtain unofficial cut off marks were forced to repeat classes until they improved their grades to proceed to the next level.

District education officer Juma Leo said the government had instructed secondary school headteachers to re-admit all the expelled students without conditions.

The affected students in three provincial and two district  schools were expelled at the beginning of this term and asked to look for places in other schools.

More than 320 girls and 200 boys were sent away from Tartar Girls High School, Chewoyet High School and Propoi Girls Secondary School among other schools in the district.

“We have instructed all principals in schools where students were expelled to re-admit them unconditionally.

“No students should be chased away or forced to repeat for performing poorly in end term examinations,” said Mr Leo.

The DEO said a team of inspectors  from his office, led by the district quality assurance officer, Ms Gladys Kamithi, had been sent to all public secondary schools to investigate the mass expulsion of students and stop a repeat of a similar incident in schools in the area.

Mrs Doris Busienei, from Baringo and a parent of a Form Four student at Chewoyet High School, was overjoyed when she learnt that the ministry had rescinded the expulsions of the students.

She said her child was forced to repeat Form Three in 2009 and was to repeat or look for another school this year, after he failed to score enough marks to proceed to Form Four.

The expulsions set off protests from religious leaders, politicians and child rights activists, who called for a reshuffle of headteachers who have been in one school for many years.

Improve performance

Eighty three girls were expelled from Tartar Girls school, among them 12 in Form Four.

Leaders, including Kapenguria MP Julius Murgor, Kapenguria mayor Andrew Rotino and the interim chairman of Kenya National Parents Association, Mr John Ngimor, condemned the principals for sending away the students and challenged them to consult  education stakeholders on how to improve academic performance.

Mr Ngimor said the expulsion of students was rampant countrywide and asked the Education ministry and child rights organisations to protect the right of children to education to ensure progress.