Learning has been disrupted for several hours at Alung’oli Primary and Junior Secondary School in Matayos constituency, Busia County, after learners demonstrated, demanding the transfer of the school head teacher, whom they accuse of mismanagement of the school.
The learners stormed out of the school and marched for three kilometres before returning to school.
They have raised several complaints against the head teacher, Ms Rossiet Agonga, including the poor quality of the diet, despite paying for the school feeding program. “We eat ugali and cowpeas from Monday to Friday, yet we pay three thousand shillings for food.”
They have also accused the head teacher of allegedly misappropriating activity funds. “We are forced to walk for several kilometres to participate in the sub-county and county games, and while at the sports, we are only given one chapati each to take with water as lunch,” they stated.
They were joined by their parents, led by Justus Maloba and Bonface Barasa, who accused the headteacher of misappropriating school funds.
“There is an old toilet in the school which she extracted the waste and painted it, then claimed she had built it using sixty thousand shillings. We pay for the feeding program, but our children are poorly fed in school. We pay activity fees, but our children are not allowed to participate in games, and when they do, they are told to walk for several kilometres and come back without eating.”
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They also accused her of being high-handed towards students, teachers, and even parents. “She uses abusive language even to parents, where she has called some of them satan on various occasions. The other day, she slapped a teacher when he went to ask for his salary because the school board of management employs him.”
They have jointly vowed not to allow her back into the school, calling on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to bring in another headteacher, “No learning will take place in this school if Ms Agonga is not transferred elsewhere. Let the government bring us another headteacher but not her.”
They were addressed by Alung’oli sub-location sub-chief James Namukuru, who urged them to remain calm as the government looks into their grievances and seeks a way forward.
Ms Agonga, who was not at the school at the time, refused to discuss the issues raised when reached by phone and instead directed journalists to seek answers from the school board of management, which the parents say is not functional.
By Charles Ouma
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