Machakos County, Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Stephen Kavuvu has raised concern over the low enrolment of students in Grade 10 across many schools in the county.
Speaking during a principals’ meeting held in Machakos town, Kavuvu noted that the situation is slightly better in national and extra-county schools (C3 and C4), but dire in most county and sub-county schools.
“I recently witnessed Machakos School turning away parents due to full capacity, and I felt like telling them there is another school that is almost becoming a C1. I head a C4 school and so far I have only admitted 20 students, so I am feeling the heat as well,” said Kavuvu.
He added that consultations with other heads of institutions revealed that some schools have admitted fewer than ten students, while others have admitted none at all.
ALSO READ:
Why 8-4-4 Form Ones were ten times better prepared than pioneer CBE Grade 10 learners.
A spot check by Education News established that many learners are still at home, with parents citing a lack of school fees or confusion over the new reporting arrangements.
“We were given very little time to prepare financially, yet schools are asking for full fees and uniforms,” said one parent in Machakos town. “For families with more than one child in school, this has been extremely difficult,” said a Parent.
This comes even as the government extended the Grade 10 reporting deadline to January 21 to allow parents more time to prepare. Many parents have complained that the initial reporting period was too short, yet schools were demanding full fees and uniform payments upfront.
By Agnes Orang’o
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
