Top officials rush to the rescue of Siaya girl mistakenly called to boys' school
There is a glimmer of hope for Gloria Adhiambo, the girl who was placed at Lenana School, a boys' national school after Siaya Sub-County Director of Education Maurice Saka and Deputy County Commissioner Robert Ng'etich intervened.
Hours after the Nation highlighted the plight of a bright but needy girl who was mistakenly called to Lenana School, a boys' school, there is a ray of hope after Siaya Sub-County Director of Education Maurice Saka and Deputy County Commissioner Robert Ng'etich intervened.
Gloria Adhiambo with her admission at her home in Nyalgunga in North Alego, Siaya County. She received a letter of admission to Lenana School, a boys' school.
The two took the affected candidate, Gloria Adhiambo, and her parents to Ng'iya Girls High School, also a national school in Siaya.
The school's headmistress, Hellen Owino, said she had made an official request for Gloria to be placed at Ng'iya.
“I have already requested and possibly it will be granted. For national schools, all the placements are done at the ministry head offices in Nairobi,” she said.
She went on, “I am confident that she will receive an official calling letter from Ng’iya Girls.”
Mr Saka noted that the error occurred during the registration process.
"When she was registered, there was a mistake in the gender. Instead of registering her as female, she was mistakenly registered as male, which led to the confusion. However, we want to assure the candidate and her parents that she will be placed in a national school for which she is qualified," said Mr Saka.
Join a national school
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Ngetich, who stressed the need for her to join a national school.
The biggest hurdle the family now faces is how to raise the fees required for the national school.
"My daughter is bright and has a promising future, but I don't have the financial means to keep her in a national school where she will be admitted," said Mr Fredrick Owino, Gloria's father.
Contrary to her earlier demeanour as a distraught girl, Gloria's face beamed with joy.
"Ng'iya is a beautiful school and I am looking forward to learning and fulfilling my dreams here," she said.
When the Nation visited her earlier, Gloria recalled choosing from a number of schools, including Alliance Girls, Kisumu Girls, Rangala Girls High School and others.
"What I don't understand is how I ended up in a boys' school when I had chosen several girls' schools. I am worried because I might miss out on joining a national school," she said in an earlier interview.
According to her report forms, she has been at the top of her class since she joined the school in Class 1.
Although she expected to score 400 marks in the last KCPE, she was happy with the 389 marks she scored.
