Alima Primary School Academy in Masaba North Sub-county in Nyamira is on the spot allegedly for expelling pupils labelled by the school’s management as ‘poor academic performers.’
The school sent away 10 standards seven pupils last week who are in their third term, alleging that they were slow learners and failed to achieve the school’s pass mark to be registered as class eight candidates.
Alarm was raised by furious and confused parents who reached to the media to air their dissatisfaction with the school’s decision to send their children away, against the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) guidelines.
Ms. Lydiah Makori whose class seven son was affected was among the ten expelled pupils said that she was sent a text message from the school’s head teacher informing her to seek an alternative school for his son who failed to reach the academic pass mark in the last chance he was given.
The single mother of four and whose three children schools at the Institution wondered why the management was so unfair to her son, expelling him at the last minute even after he willingly repeated class seven to boost his academic grades.
School proprietor, George Magiya, refused to have a candid conversation with the press, but brushed them off, saying he was not aware of what the parents were accusing him of and instead blamed his business competitors in the education sector for witch hunt.
When KNA reached the County Director of Education (CDE), Ms. Margaret Mwirigi, over the issue, she said the Ministry of Education banned repeating of classes by ‘underperforming learners’ and warned that such an illegality will land the Institution’s Manager or proprietor in trouble.
“Repeating of class by any learner should only be allowed if the learner voluntarily consents, an agreement which must be done in writing. The Institution’s Management must, therefore, retract their decision, for it is illegal which will attract hash consequences by the rule of law. The Director of Education stated.
By Deborah Bochere
