Johnson Chengo
Angry parents stormed and ejected, teachers paralysing learning at Mkombe primary school in Kilifi county on Monday.
They blamed the school management for decimal performance, poor management and misappropriation of funds.
They vowed to stop learning activities until the government intervene in the matter.
Before this, several parents had transferred their children to other neighbouring schools.
Speaking to journalists outside the school, Karisa Dhadu one of the parents, said that they are worried that the school would collapse if all students were withdrawn.
“The school might soon face closure by the Ministry of Education for lack of students because most have been transferred to neighbouring schools,” he said.
Mkombe primary school which started in 1987 has a total of 120 pupils with the parents claiming it had over 400 learners twelve years ago.
The school has seven teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission {TSC} with the other two hired by the board of management.
Dhadu said three-quarters of the students who sat Kenya Certificate of Primary Education {KCPE} last year scooped below 150 marks.
“We are worried because a large number of students have been scoring poor grades, this has led to our community not having professionals. Most learners from the school ended up becoming bodaboda riders, quarry cutters, fishermen and housewives,” Dhadu said.
He said the school has never produced any celebrated examination results since the headteacher Emmanuel Kombe got transferred in 2011, blaming it on the laxity of the teachers.
He accused them of reporting late to school and leaving very early in the evening, adding that it had greatly led to poor performance.
“We regret that as we continue as stakeholders pulling together and channelling resources to improve the structures in the school, the teachers keep on letting us down,” he added.
Julius Mwambegu another parent, asked the County education authorities to disband the school committee board with immediate effect, citing that it also attributed to the poor results.
“The school’s performance has dropped terribly and parents are not ready to allow the school committee to continue managing the school.
The committee board is also accused of selling school properties to benefit themselves.
“There was a school water tank which we are having reports was sold by the board and now they are cutting down trees within the compound and selling them, this is unacceptable and we are not going to take it more,” he added.
Another parent, Florence Kahunda accused the committee board of management of stopping a health facility project from being built on the school.
She said the nearest health facility is almost 10 kilometres away.
“We thought the idea of building a health facility here will be a reprieve to the community who trek long distances in search of medication but we are shocked the school committee has ganged up against it. The school has nine acres and we only requested half an acre for the project but the school board went ahead and refuse it. We are tired of this committee and we are asking the government to take action and disband the board to restore calmness in the school,” she said.
Efforts to seek comments proved futile after the acting headteacher Everlyn Kadzo Kiti declined to speak on the phone
She also failed to reply to the PeopleDaily newspaper reporter’s text message which sought her comment.
Also, comments from the Kilifi County Director of Education were fruitless since her phone was off.
