Parents demand reopening of closed schools in Lamu

Parents outside the Lamu County Ministry of Education office on Tuesday October 1, 2019. They demanded schools closed by the ministry over failure to meet standards reopened. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The parents said the move will cause them undue financial and psychological strain on their children and demanded the schools be reopened.
  • The ministry announced closure of the eight institutions and directed another to be re-registered in the ongoing crackdown across Lamu County.
  • Lamu County Director of Education Joshua Kanga confirmed the shutdown of the eight schools citing poor infrastructure and failure to adhere to most of the set education standards.

Hundreds of parents stormed the Lamu County Ministry of Education office early Tuesday morning after eight private primary and nursery schools were closed.

The parents were decrying the abrupt closure of the learning centres on Monday.

The ministry had also directed another school to re-register as it steps up the crackdown on institutions that do not meet standards for educational centres.

The crackdown across the country was ordered by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha last week following collapse of classrooms at Precious Talents primary school in Dagoretti South, Nairobi that claimed the lives of eight pupils.

Lamu County Director of Education Joshua Kanga confirmed the shutdown of the eight schools citing poor infrastructure and failure to adhere to most of the set education standards.

CLOSED DOWN

Among the affected schools is Good Shepherd Academy in Mpeketoni, Lamu West which produced the top Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate, Ngigi Brenda Njoki who scored 422 marks out of 500 during the 2018 exam.

The school which has 228 pupils was directed to re-register.

The eight schools which were closed down are Bridge International School with 165 pupils including two KCPE candidates, Baraka Nursery with 20 pupils and Gracious Light Rays with 147 pupils. The three schools are within Lamu Town.

Others include Tawfiq Academy (42), Futuhi Integrated School (46), Faza Elementary (43), Rays of Hope Academy (72) and Tawakal Academy (194), which are in Lamu East Sub-County.

SUB-STANDARD

Mr Kanga said most of the closed schools were not registered while others had substandard infrastructure.

The county head of education added that some of the affected schools had employed teachers who are not registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

“We’ve been visiting these schools to assess the situation. We’ve realised that most of the private schools here in Lamu are not registered. So far we’ve closed down eight schools all of which are private,” he said.

“Some have poor infrastructure while others use Form Four leavers as their teachers. They’re not registered by TSC,” he added.

Mr Kanga directed all the affected pupils to be transferred to public schools near them including the Mkomani Bin Fadhil Girls, Mkomani Bin Fadhil Boys and Wiyoni primary schools in order to proceed with their learning.

He said massive crackdown on schools which don’t meet the education ministry’s requirements is still on across Lamu County with more schools expected be closed by the end of the week.

ASSESSMENT

Mr Kanga also took issue with the syllabus in use at Bridge International.

“The syllabus is questionable, plus six out of their 10 teachers employed are Form Four leavers who are not registered by TSC,” he said.

But angry parents accused the Lamu Education office of failure to give them notice so that they could prepare psychologically and financially since they had already paid third term fees in the affected schools.

Bridge International School chairman Abdulrazak Bandu said teachers, parents and pupils were caught unawares as they prepared for their morning classes.

INHUMANE

“We just saw the education officials arriving at the institution and after visiting some classes and even our toilets; they came to the assembly yard and informed our teachers and pupils that the school is closed. How can you do that? It’s inhumane,” said Mr Bandu.

Parents who stormed the education office had vowed not to leave until they were assured them that the closed schools will be reopened.

Ms Supa Mary said most of the schools had existed in Lamu for more than ten years and questioned why the ministry had not intervened before.

Ms Anabelle Sichangi, a teacher at Gracious Light Rays Academy, which was also closed opposed the move saying they have met almost all the education requirement.

‘We’ve already begun implementing the competency-based curriculum. We’re well trained and we have the equipment. Why are they closing the school without even giving a notice? We want it reopened,” said Ms Sichangi.

Efforts for the parents to meet the education officers were futile as they were informed that they had already gone to Mokowe to undertake the crackdown on schools which do not meet education requirements.