It was a sigh of relief for Thika parents after a local primary school was upgraded to a secondary day status easing them the burden of seeking admission in boarding schools at exorbitant fees.
The Parents especially for students who sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) last year were relieved after Jamhuri primary School that had over 350 pupils opened doors for fresh admission of both Junior and senior secondary school students.
The move was precipitated following a public outcry from parents over lack of enough day secondary schools in the area which were more affordable.
The school, situated in the Municipality area will offer relief to students from the highly populated neighboring wards of Kamenu, Township and Hospital, who used to walk to Kimuchu, Broadways, Kenyatta Girls and Queen of Rosary secondary schools which are kilometers apart.
Pupils in Play Group up to Grade Six will continue with their education in the school before it is slowly phased out and converted to fully-pledged secondary.
Thika town MP Alice Ng’ang’a said they are in talks with the Education Ministry to equip the school and provide nine secondary school teachers before schools reopen.
She said the school will not only ease access to affordable secondary education but also decongest the few schools in the populous Thika town.
This will increase the number of day secondary schools in the area to five, most of which have a student population exceeding 1,000.
She said the school has unused infrastructure that will be modernized to enroll students for both Junior and senior secondary education.
Speaking after touring the school, the MP told parents to take their children for Form One enrollment at the school adding that they hope to enroll more than 90 students this year.
“When you look at the day schools that we have, they are full. The population in the area demands we add an extra day secondary school and that’s why we have come up with this initiative. We ask parents to have their children enrolled in Form One so that we can grow the school,” Ng’ang’a said.
Parents lauded the move saying it will ease access to secondary education in the area.
Josphine Wanja, a parent from the area said converting the school to secondary will reduce time and cost that her children used to spend while going to Broadways school that is kilometers apart.
By Muoki Charles
