Board of Management (BOM) members in Narok County have been asked to prioritise the interests of schools they lead so as to improve the education standards in the county.
Narok County Education Director Jane Njogu said the community had entrusted the BOMs to lead the schools in the right direction hence expected to see improvement in all the schools.
She spoke at Ololulunga Boys’ High School during a meeting with the new board members from schools in Narok South Sub County where she rebuked some members for putting their interests firsts, which brought conflicts between the board members and teachers.
“You came here to serve and not to be served. You should put the interests of the school first so that we can improve education in this county,” said Njogu, adding that the board members had a critical role to play in the growth of the schools.
The education director called on the members to bring rich ideas on the table that will improve the schools saying the community had a lot of faith in them.
She reminded the members that their tenure lasts for three years after which the board is disbanded and new other members appointed.
However, she said, the appointment can be revoked before the expiry of three years if a member goes against the policies laid by the department of education.
The BOM is mandated to promote the best interests of the school and ensure there is development within the school as well as promoting quality education for all the learners.
Other key responsibilities include advising the County Education Board (CEB) on the staffing needs of the school and determining cases of learners’ indiscipline and presenting the report to CEB.
The board also participates in the recruitment of Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) teachers and makes recommendations on teachers’ discipline cases as guided by TSC regulations.
The school board comprises six persons elected to represent parents of the pupils in the school or local community in case of county secondary schools.
These include one nominated by the County Education Board, one representative of the teaching staff, one person representing special groups and three representatives of sponsors of the school.
By Ann Salaton
