By Malachi Motano
Furious and confused parents faulted Alima Primary School, an academy in Masaba North Sub-county for expelling pupils labelled by the school’s management as ‘poor academic performers.’
The school allegedly sent away 10 standards seven pupils who are in their third term, claiming that they were slow learners and failed to achieve the school’s pass mark to be registered as class eight candidates.
Their parents who talked to the media raised the alarm and condemned the school’s decision to send their children away, against the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) guidelines.
“I was sent a text message from the school’s head teacher informing me to seek an alternative school for my son who failed to reach the academic pass mark after the last chance he was given,” said Ms. Lydia Makori whose class seven son was among the ten expelled pupils.
According to the single mother of four and whose three children are learning at the Institution said she was wondering 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.
The owner of the school refused to talk to the media and instead brushed them off, saying he was not aware of what the parents were accusing him of and blamed his business competitors in the education sector for orchestrating a witch-hunt.
Contacted for comment, the County Director of Education (CDE), Ms. Margaret Mwirigi said the Ministry of Education banned repeating of classes.
“Repeating of class by any learner should only be allowed if the learner voluntarily consents, an agreement which must be done in writing,” she added.
