- Parents in Kisii have been urged to support nearby schools instead of sending children farther away.
- St Peter’s Keberesi Principal Lukas Maburi says stronger local support could improve enrolment and school development.
- Enock Okong’o reports that Maburi also wants absent Form Four candidates returned to school immediately.
Parents in Kisii County have been asked to support development in their home schools rather than taking their children to faraway schools to develop them, although they are of the same status.
St Peter’s Keberesi Secondary School Principal Lukas Maburi said a change in attitude by parents and their children towards schools near their homes will improve enrolment and boost standards and financial inflows through capitation.
The principal, who spoke at his school on Tuesday, wondered why there are still Form Four students who have not reported back to school for third-term studies because of lack of school fees and asked parents to make sacrifices to get money for their children’s upkeep at school.
“Some candidates are still at home. I ask parents to sacrifice themselves and put effort to support their children to return to school and concentrate for examinations,” he said.
Parents urged to engage schools
The principal advised parents of the affected candidates from various schools in the region to report to those institutions and consult with principals on the best way to assist the students instead of keeping the principals worried about the well-being of the learners.
Maburi noted that irregular attendance by candidates in the third term has serious academic and psychological setbacks.
He said candidates who stay at home miss the crucial revision programme, past-paper drills and examiners’ tips offered in the third term, making it difficult to cover the syllabus and master examination techniques. He added that absenteeism breaks their study morale, creates anxiety and leads to poor time management during KCSE.
The principal further said the absence of candidates lowers the school’s mean score, demoralises teachers who have prepared intensively, and disrupts group discussions and practicals where teamwork is essential.
“When a candidate disappears for weeks, even when he returns he is lost, he is behind and his self-esteem is low. That is how we get cases of exam cheating and dropouts,” Maburi observed.
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He urged chiefs, village elders and education officers to help trace all candidates still at home and ensure they report back immediately as national examinations are a few weeks away.
By Enock Okong’o
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