By Lydia Ngoolo
The Principal of Matinyani Mixed Day School Martin Kimongo has improved its performance and creating friendly environment for the learners.
He was transferred to the school in 2017 and in 2018 the school had a mean grade of 3.3 when two students qualified to join university.
In 2019, with a mean grade of 2.9, four students qualified to university and in 2020 the school jumped to a mean grade of 4.0 with eight attaining university grade out of 84 candidates.
“We had three with B plain and five C plus which is not easy to get such in a low sub county day school. We are now targeting a mean grade of 5.0,” he added.
Speaking from his office Kimongo said many children have a negative perception against education but he is trying to change the perception to make them comfortable and change the attitude.
He also puts motivational stickers in every corner of the school to remind the students of their responsibilities.
“Teachers who are very cooperative and they work as a team to shape the boys future. They are very close to the students. Discipline is not compromised here,” he says.
They also meet frequently with the parents to discuss the behaviour of our children.
The school has 300 students and it’s entry marks is 100, which the head teacher says is almost zero marks as opposed to County and extra county schools which admit top cream students.
The principal encourages the students by telling them they are in the best day school not only in Kitui but countrywide.
Posted in the school in June 2017, he found the school was lacking so many things including a gate which they could close using tree posts but he has erected a modern gate.
“This is the only day school with computer lab fully equipped in the sub county and that it’s all about being aggressive,” says Kimongo.
He approached the Ministry and was given computers, then partitioned his office to create a room that is now a computer lab.
He also bought a projector for animation to make science subjects interesting and stick to the mind.
“I know it’s not easy to forget something you have seen rather than usual theories and from that, we are steadily improving. Physics had a mean grade of 5 this year,” Kimongo.
He however decried shortage of four teachers saying the school has 14 Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and three Board of Management (BoM) teachers.
They are also Kitui west women soccer champions, a cup sponsored by MP Edith Nyenze, a trophy they have bagged for three consecutive years and now it’s retained in the school.
They have gone up to national level in music festivals, while boys also excel in soccer and two boys play for AFC leopards.
Photo
Photo caption: Principal Matinyani mixed day school Martin Kimongo holds Kitui west women soccer trophy retained in the school./Lydia Ngoolo.
Photo two: Principal Matinyani mixed day school Martin Kimongo holds one of the motivational stickers./Lydia Ngoolo.
Photo three: Matinyani mixed administration block and school gate./Lydia Ngoolo.
