Parents of Majengo primary school in Lugari Sub County have bitterly condemned the move by the school’s head teacher to deny their children a chance to sit the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) assessment test and subjecting them to harsh weather condition as a punishment for failing to pay for the examinations. Speaking to West Media the parents said that since Monday this week their children have been denied entry into classrooms and forced to sit outside from morning to evening.
“They are forced to sit down early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass and then persevere scorching sunlight throughout the day until evening and none of them is even allowed permission to go to the toilet,” they said.
According to the parents, the head teacher had asked each pupil to pay Kshs 200 for the examinations and despite some of them paying a half of the amount they have not been allowed to do the examinations.
“I am a single mother struggling to take care of my family and I have four children in this school, I gave each one of them Kshs. 100 but they haven’t sat the examination,” said one of the parents.
The parents have accused the head teacher Mr. Michael Indimuli of poor management of the school and using abusive language against parents and pupils threatening to demonstrate and eject him if he is not transferred.
“He even fell and sold school trees without our permission, and he is treating parents without any respect, we are tired of him,” they said.
Lugari Sub County Education Director Mrs. Magdalene Igwatai confirmed to have received numerous complaints from parents against the head teacher promising that her office will do investigations and take appropriate action.
The Sub County Education Boss said this was not the first incident to be reported against the head teacher who is fond of torturing and frustrating pupils.
“In 2017 he did the same to the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates on rehearsal day where we found a section of the candidates forced to sit on sun just because they had not paid for a loaf of bread beverages that they could use during the examination period,” said the SCDE.