Parents in Nyeri eject school head for selling grass cut by pupils

A parent addresses pupils of Gitathi-ni Primary School in Nyeri on January 17, 2017. Learning was paralysed as parents protested against the school’s headteacher, accusing her of mismanaging school property. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The headteacher had instructed pupils to trim the grass on the school’s grounds as part of the cleaning programme.
  • Parents also claimed that crops harvested from the school farm did not benefit the pupils as the headteacher pocketed the money.
  • They demanded that the headteacher, Ms Rose Mureithi, be immediately removed from the school.
  • Sub-County Director of Education Mary Kamurua was called in to restore order in the school.

Parents of Gitathi-ini Primary School in Nyeri County have ejected the headteacher for selling grass recently cut by pupils.

As a shortage of fodder continues to bite, the parents, who are mostly farmers, accompanied by their children, stormed the school in protest after learning that the headteacher had sold the grass cut in the school.

The dispute emerged after word went out that at the beginning of the term that the headteacher had instructed pupils to trim the grass on the school’s grounds as part of the cleaning programme.

She is said to have sold the grass to an unknown person, much to the surprise of the parents, who had high expectations that it would be shared among them as their children had provided the “labour” for cutting it.

They also claimed that crops that were harvested from the school farm did not benefit the pupils as the headteacher pocketed the money.

“Our children are being used to work on the farm and to harvest the crops but the money always goes to the headteacher,” said parent Joseph Maina.

TEACHERS' ABSENTEEISM

They further accused teachers of absenteeism, which they said is affecting their children’s academic performance.

“We do not even know when our children are ever in class because they are mostly working on the farm. And the crops they harvest will only benefit the teachers because they do not bring the harvest home,” said Ms Leah Murugi, another parent.

They demanded that the headteacher, Rose Mureithi, be immediately removed from the school.

“The headteacher must go and until she is removed, our children will stay out of class,” added Ms Murugi.

The area Sub-County Director of Education Mary Kamurua was called in to restore order in the school.

She later held a meeting with the parents.

However, she declined to give details of the meeting saying she had not been fully briefed.

“I have only been told that the parents are demonstrating over several matters but I do not know the details of the grievances,” said Ms Kamurua.