School heads in Trans Nzoia County have been urged to ensure government’s directive against sending fee defaulters home is heeded to the letter.
Addressing the public after leading a tree planting exercise at Sikhendu Forest in Trans Nzoia County, Rift Valley Regional Director of Education Milton Nzioka said school heads have no option other than to ensure the directive is fully enforced.
Last week before schools reopened for second term, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu while on a tree planting mission in Trans Nzoia issued stern directives to school heads to avoid at all costs to send fee defaulters back home.
He said the government would not tolerate school heads who would defy the directive and warned such heads would be sacked, as he directed all regional and county directors to ensure a list of all defiant heads is availed at his desk for action.
In a move meant to ensure adherence to the orders, Nzioka advised school heads to craft a mechanism of engaging parents to commit on how to clear fee balances as children remained in class instead of sending them home.
“This is a directive school heads need to observe. We advise them instead of sending children home because of fee arrears, they should engage parents and find a common ground. It is parents who pay fees and not learners,” he said.
Present during the function, Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Gideon Oyagi stressed the need for deliberate efforts tailored to safeguard the girl child from early pregnancies and marriages.
Hailing efforts taken in the past to protect the interests of the girl child, Oyagi warned that such efforts may soon go to waste if proper measures are not put in place.
“Early pregnancies and marriages are becoming a norm in this region. The law is very clear on the two vices.
I urge all custodians of the law to take this issue seriously and ensure that perpetrators of the same are brought to book. We want a safe society for our girls and children in general,” he said.
By Isaiah Nayika
