Tension over strike forces schools closure
Students walk through Nyeri town on their way home on September 2, 2024, as teachers’ strike enters the second week.
What you need to know:
- Learners in secondary schools have largely remained unattended and some have resorted to vandalism.
- To avoid destruction of school property by the learners, managements have instead asked them to go home.
Over 100 schools across the country have sent learners home amid fears of unrest and in some cases disruptions occasioned by the ongoing teachers’ strike which has entered the second week.
A spot check by Nation indicates that learners in secondary schools have largely remained unattended and some have resorted to vandalism of school property, demanding to be allowed to go home. To avoid destruction of school property by the learners, managements have instead asked them to go home.
Nation has established that many learners in day secondary schools are simply not attending school as teachers remain on strike. Day schools comprise about 70 per cent of learners in secondary schools.
In many cases, learners in Form Four who will sit their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations have remained in school to revise for the tests.
The strike has been called by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) which draws the majority of its membership from secondary schools.
Junior school teachers who are employed on contract have also joined the strike as their employment terms forms part of the grievances advanced by Kuppet.
“Dear parents. Last night the boys had signs of distress. Today morning they insisted that if the strike is not called off, they must go home. We have talked to them and the situation is that we release them. This is to avert any reaction from them as it happened in some schools where destruction of property has happened,” read a message from the management of Kanjuri Boys High School in Nyeri County.
Last week on Thursday night, extensive damage to property was reported at Othaya Boys High School after students went on the rampage demanding that they be allowed to go home because there was no learning going on.
Among schools that had released learners by 11.00am Monday include Nanyuki High School, where only Form Fours were allowed to remain at school.
Others include Nanyuki Loise Girls Secondary School, St Jude Nturukuma Girls School and Kalalu Girls Secondary School.
About 20 secondary schools in Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties have already sent students home. Machakos School, Kabaa High School, Kitui School and Makueni Boys High School are among national schools that have been closed.
At Makueni Boys High School learners on Saturday night vandalised classrooms, prompting the decision to send them home on Sunday.
A student looks on as Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers demonstrate on the streets of Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County on August 28, 2024.
"The students' argument was that for the last one week, little teaching has taken place because of the ongoing teachers' strike. There were also claims that students from other schools have gone home or did not go to school in the first place. A communication regarding the resumption date will be made soon," the principal Francis Mutua said in a statement to parents.
Other schools which have sent learners home include Chuluni Girls Secondary School and St Charles Lwanga High School in Kitui County, Mulu Secondary School and Mwala Girls Secondary School in Machakos County as well as Mbooni Boys High School and Kiongwani Secondary School in Makueni County. At Kabaa High School and Thomeandu Secondary School in Makueni County, only Form Four students have remained behind.
Makueni County director of Education Charles Nyakundi played down the concerns raised by principals.
"Students are going home to call their parents on matters fees payment, not the [teachers'] strike, kindly," Mr Nyakundi told the Nation.
However, at Tututha Secondary School in Makueni County, the learners pelted Kuppet officials with stones after they stormed the school to flush out colleagues who were teaching.
At Nyangwa Boys High School in Embu County, police lobbed teargas to disperse teachers from other schools who had gone to disrupt learning.
There has been no learning taking place at Shimo La Tewa High School in Mombasa County since last week. Students started going back on yesterday September 2 2024. Sources at the school told Nation that there were only about 50 students from far-flung counties who remained in school as the strike took its toll.
“After consultations, the school administration has decided to recall the students in batches. The Form 4s are expected to report to school on Monday September 2 2024 as from 10:00am. All fees should be cleared before admission,” reads a message sent to parents by the school administration.
Kilifi branch Kuppet assistant executive secretary Zachary Oppollo said principals did not want to keep learners in school when there is no learning taking place.
“Students are not in schools, and principals are sending the few home in the name of school fees,” he said.
Hundreds of learners were yesterday seen at matatu termini in Nakuru City as they went home from school.
Learners from Jomo Kenyatta Boys High School in Bahati Sub-county were released to go home after they threatened to riot on Sunday.
Students of Kagira Mixed Secondary School in Dagoretti South Constituency in class on August 28, 2024 as the countrywide strike by teachers continues.
They are said to have broken window panes and destroyed other school property, forcing the school principal to call in police officers to restore order.
"They went on a rampage yesterday night, they destroyed school properties. Officers managed to calm them down after their principal promised to release them in the morning. We are yet to assess the value of the damage," said Josephine Wambui, the officer commanding station of Bahati Police Station.
Kuppet called for the strike demanding full implementation of the 2021 -2025 collective bargaining agreement (which has since been done), promotion of 130,000 teachers who have remained in the same job groups for years and conversion of 46,000 teachers on contract to permanent terms, among other issues.
“We are warning principals against keeping children in school. We ask parents to take back their children because we are not going to work this term until our grievances are addressed,” said Eliud Wafula, the Trans Nzoia County Kuppet chairperson.
On Monday, hundreds of teachers demonstrated in Kitale town, accusing TSC of ignoring their grievances. Kuppet officials noted that there is fear of school unrest if children continue to be held idle in the schools without teachers' attention.
Nation.Africa confirmed that schools in Turkana County have allowed students to remain in school but learning is yet to start.
Kuppet Turkana branch secretary general Michael Ekitela and other officials have been visiting schools to ensure that no teacher is in class.
"I am currently in Turkana North Constituency to ensure teachers in border schools such as Kaikor, Kaeris, and Kibish Secondary School don't take advantage of their remoteness to teach," Mr Ekitela said.
Reported by Pius Maundu, Stephen Munyiri, Mwangi Ndirangu, David Muchui, George Munene, Maureen Ongala, Valentine Obara, Mercy Koskei, Evans Jaola, Sammy Lutta and Oscar Kakai
