‘Weak’ pupils now locked out of class 8

Some private primary schools are forcing weak students to repeat classes in a bid to improve their chances of emerging top performers in national examinations.

It has emerged that despite protests by parents and affected children, the management of the schools have been adamant that pupils who did not attain 300 marks in previous examination at class seven would not proceed to class eight.

The Nation established that some of the parents had opted to withdraw their children to join public schools after their plight was ignored.

They protested against such decision and demanded that the Ministry of Education to intervene on their behalf.

“Why are our children being turned away from proceeding to the next level on grounds that they are academically weak and that their presence would affect school’s final results in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination mean score?” asked one of the parents.

At least five parents from a private school in Nakuru North District on Wednesday marched to the district education office to register their complaints after a failed attempt to negotiate with the school administrators.

The government has banned compulsory repetition of classes. However, when the Nation contacted a headmaster of one of the affected schools, he said that they were ready to negotiate with the aggrieved parents.

Fresh negotiations

“We were trying to explain to the parents why their children ought to repeat but it appears some felt that they were being isolated and want them to come back so that we can negotiate afresh,” said the head teacher.

Education minister Sam Ongeri has in the past warned against private schools applying unorthodox means as repetition of classes and drilling of pupils to pass in KCPE.

Others register weaker pupils in different schools so that they do not lower the mean score at the national exam. Prof Ongeri warned that such schools would be would be closed.