Rift Valley Region Education Director John Olotua has called on secondary school heads to be patient with parents who have not cleared school fees or purchased uniforms for their form one children in a bid to achieve the 100 per cent transition.
Olotua who spoke at Ilmasharian Primary School in Narok North Sub County observed that a number of children in Narok County had not reported to school for lack of school fees owing to the fact that many businesses had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic last year.
“Please allow the children in school despite the fact that they do not have uniform or completed school fees so that they can learn with their colleagues as you wait for the parents to clear school fees,” said Olotua.
Olotua who was accompanied by Narok County Commissioner and education officials regretted that Narok County was among the few counties in Kenya where 100 per cent transition was yet to be achieved.
“I call upon all other well-wishers to help the needy children who are yet to join secondary school as there are very genuine cases of poor children who cannot afford the secondary school fees,” he said.
Commissioner Achoki called on residents to take it as their personal responsibility to report any child within their neighbourhoods who do not go to school.
He asked chiefs to be vigilant and arrest any parent whose children were not in school, adding that the county was aiming at 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school.
“Parents who cannot afford to pay school fees should report to the chiefs so that the children can be accounted for,” Achoki said.
Last week, the State Department for Early Learning and Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Jwan visited the county and asked parents to take advantage of the free day secondary schools to take their children to school.
Dr. Jwan observed that Narok was among the worst performing counties in terms of transition rate.
By Ann Salaton
