A six-decade-old public school in Kilifi County has become a symbol of neglect, with more than 1,150 learners packed into crumbling classrooms, sharing fewer than seven latrines and sitting on muddy floors because the school cannot afford enough desks.
Masheheni Primary School in Magarini is crumbling and on the edge of a public health and education emergency, with its Board of Management (BOM) chair now making a desperate public appeal for intervention.
“Our children are desperate for education, but education must also be pursued with dignity,” BOM chair Saidia Thoya said.
The school, which has stood for more than 60 years, hosts 608 boys and 542 girls but has a documented shortage of six teachers against its current staffing of 18 government teachers and 18 BoM teachers. It is ranked among the 400 most populated primary schools in Kenya.
Thoya said the situation inside classrooms has deteriorated to alarming levels, with some rooms accommodating up to 200 learners at a time. During the rainy season, the leaking roofs force the school to shut down entirely, robbing learners of already limited instructional time.
“We have now reached desperate levels. We are calling on any well-wishers out there to come to our rescue,” he said, adding that companies with Corporate Social Responsibility programmes had a unique opportunity to intervene.
“We have seen companies come to the rescue of learning institutions like ours. We will be grateful if they also shine their torch on our school,” Thoya said.
Parents spoken to at the school said the desk shortage forces children to sit directly on the floor, and during the rainy season, the floors turn muddy, leaving learners in soiled clothes that struggling families cannot afford to clean or replace. They said most households in the area prioritise food over everything else, leaving little room for soap, school uniforms or medical care.
The latrines are a shared concern among parents, who described the fewer than seven facilities as dangerously overused and chronically dirty. They said children frequently fall ill as a result, and because the nearest hospital is far away, families resort to herbal remedies and hope for the best.
READ ALSO: Sanitation crisis at Narok’s Chepkutbei Primary as pit latrines collapse, pupils forced to bush
Parents added that sick learners miss classes regularly, further deepening the learning crisis at a school already stretched thin by overcrowding and a shortage of teachers.
By Benedict Aoya
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.
