Tough conditions for learners’ readmission as schools open

Learners in schools that were closed due to unrest last year have to fulfil tough conditions before being readmitted to the institutions.

This came as investigative agencies linked a city gang to student unrest in Central Kenya.  

The conditions for readmission vary across schools, but include paying hefty fines, clearing outstanding fee balances, undergoing mandatory drug tests and signing agreements that bind them to good behaviour in the future.

The situation is different for learners who have been implicated in either organising or participating in various criminal activities that drew the attention of stakeholders as the wave of indiscipline and violence swept across the country.

Report with parents

At Upper Hill School in Nairobi County, a total of 380 students who demanded to be released from school last term before the official closing date have been asked to report with their parents next week on Wednesday.

In a communication to the parents, the students are also required to clear all outstanding fee balances.

“Dear parent/guardian, You are required to accompany your son back to school on Wednesday January 12, 2022 at 9.00am. He must be in full school uniform and school fees must be cleared in full. Upper Hill School,” the short message service text to parents reads.

Speaking to the Nation, the principal, Mr Masaku Muiya, said the school had to release the students to go home after pleading with them in vain to remain in school until the closing date.

“Before we released them, the school had experienced unrest from students and therefore we asked those who wanted to go home to go, 380 signed to go home while 1,200 remained in school until we released them on December 10,” said Mr Muiya.

Not right

On Tuesday, a parent of one of the affected learners said it would be wrong for the school to punish those who decided to go home before the closing date.

“It is not right to ask students to go home willingly then start subjecting them to disciplinary action,” said the parent.

However, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Tuesday urged parents to stop siding with their children and instead give the right counsel to their children.

“When schools ask students who have been involved in indiscipline cases to report a week later with their parents, it’s because the school wants to sit the students down and address their issues, and parents must support teachers in that,” said Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori.

Obey schools rules

The union’s Nairobi branch secretary Moses Mbora said parents must instruct their children to obey schools rules.

“We cannot allow parents to encourage their children’s indiscipline. Those who are complaining must take responsibility and instil good discipline in their children,” he said.

And 21 learners from Othaya Boys High School will know their fate when the school reopens today. The local Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office profiled the learners and linked them to a criminal gang, ‘Gaza’, which has roots in Kayole and Mathera areas of Nairobi.

Investigations established that students allied to the gang assaulted those who declined to join in the strike.

Criminal charges

The local DCI boss Florence Mutura said some members of the group are facing criminal charges while others will be prosecuted.

“We have their files and some of them are facing serious charges. Once we are through with investigations we will take them to court,” she announced during a meeting at the school in December.

The meeting also heard that some of the students were suspected to have been behind drugs peddling in the school.

In Busia County, parents at Bujumba Secondary School Tuesday protested against the decision by the board of management to turn away learners who had not paid a Sh5,600 fine for rebuilding a dormitory that was burnt down.

Only a handful of learners reported back, with the parents wondering why all the learners were penalised over the dormitory fire whereas the ones suspected of starting the fire had been arrested and charged in court.

“Parents are really struggling to raise money to pay school fees and meet other expenses related to the education of their children. We tried pleading with the principal but she insisted that she had firm instructions from the board to collect the fines before readmitting the learners. This is going to keep our children at home for a long time as we struggle to raise the money,” said Mr Clement Odhiambo, a parent.

The principal, Ms Jezebeth Oulo, declined to comment on the issue.

Report in phases

At Kangubiri High School in Nyeri County, the learners will report in phases after they walked out of school last term. Form Four learners reported yesterday accompanied by their parents.

Form One students are expected to report back today (Wednesday) while Form Twos and Threes are expected to report on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

“Form 2H and 3K will report on Monday January 10, 2022,” a communication to the parents from the school read.

All the students were expected to be in school by 10.00am o’clock accompanied by their parents. They were also required to have paid school fees in full and a Sh2,622 fine to cater for damages.

“She should be ready to abide by the school rules and maintain peace,” the communication further read.

Reporting by Faith Nyamai, Benson Amadala, Reginah Kinogu and Stephen Munyiri