700 girls run away from 'sex pest' at Maasai Girls High School
Narok North Sub-County Director of Education Samuel Sankale addresses students of Maasai Girls High School on June 12, 2018. The school was closed indefinitely after students complained of sexual harassment by a male teacher. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
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They stormed out of the school and some headed to different estates in Narok town as others went home.
The girls stormed out of the institution silently in protest.
They claimed the teacher employed by the School Board of Management has been asking for sexual favours and attempted molest one of them.
Parents stormed the institution hours later and threatened to transfer their children.
More than 700 students of Maasai Girls High in Narok on Tuesday morning walked out of the school protesting alleged sexual harassment by one of their male teachers.
The girls said the teacher attempted to defile one of them.
CLOSED
They stormed out of the school in protest and some headed to different estates in Narok town as others went home.
They claimed the teacher employed by the school board of management has been asking for sexual favours and attempted to molest one of them.
Parents stormed the institution hours later and threatened to transfer their children.
Consequently, the school was closed down for a week and the few girls who had opted to remain were ordered to pack and leave for their homes.
School principal Rose Kotek said the Education ministry and the school’s board of management closed the institution to allow for investigations into the sexual assault claims.
“We have started investigations into the claims and we will work jointly with the Ministry of Education to establish what has been happening,” said Ms Kotek.
The visibly shaken head-teacher confirmed that the irate girls walked out of the compound on Tuesday morning.
She said she received information from arents Teachers Association (PTA) chairman Joseph Ole Pareyio, whom she accused of interfering with the management of the school.
Mr Pareyio, she said, received reports of sexual harassment last Friday but kept quiet.
SEX
“I was shocked that the PTA chairman knew about the silent protest by the students but kept it a secret,” said Ms Kotek.
However, the PTA chairman pointed an accusing finger at the principal, saying she is protecting the teacher accused of being a sex pest.
“It is in the public domain that the teacher has been seeking sexual favours from the students,” he said.
“The principal cannot bury her head in the sand and pretend not to have heard of this. Investigations will reveal the truth”.
Narok North Sub-County Education officer Samuel Sankale said the board will meet and discuss the matter before the girls report back.
“The girls walked out of the school because of the claims. We will meet with the board and discuss the matter and we will announce the outcome later,” said Mr Sankale.
Addressing the parents, teachers and a section of the students, Mr Sankale said they had received reports of the teacher preying on girls in the school and had sent a team of quality assurance officers to investigate.
