School students shock Kenyans with their mischievous ideas that sometimes make it to the news stirring a debate on who has failed to discipline them with both parents and teachers put on the spot.
Ironically though, the teachers have decided to break headlines in competing with their students on breaking the strict rules put in place.
Pupils and teachers of Star Sheikh Academy in Athi River were on Monday ejected from classrooms after reporting for “outlawed holiday tuition”.
Education officials said the school was planning to conduct the tuition under the guise of “Standard 4-8 Pupils Mentorship Conference”.
The pupils and teachers were ordered to vacate the school in five minutes.
The school’s deputy principal Rogers Were, however, denied that pupils were at the school.
“We had already cancelled the conference. No one was in school,” Were told the Star on the phone on Tuesday.
The school intended to conduct the “mentorship conference” for two weeks between December 3 and 14.
“The school shall conduct a mentorship conference for guidance and counselling course on academic and personal behaviour towards education starting from December 3 to December 14 2018,” the school’s communication said in part.
“Charges will be Sh3,000 for day scholars and Sh5,000 for boarders. All pupils are expected to participate.”
Machakos County Commissioner Abdullahi Galgalo cautioned schools against conducting holiday tuition.
“The government has outlawed tuition in whatever form. These are instructions from the Education CS Amina Mohammed,” said Galgalo.
“Tuition in whatever name is not allowed, parents should not allow their children to attend tuition. We have instructed education personnel to ensure that no tuition takes place in any school within Machakos county,” he said.
Galgalo said it is time for the children to rest and have parental guidance.
“We will arrest and arraign directors of the schools found conducting tuition,” he added.
Awhile back the CS spoke after addressing a Joint Meeting of County ECDE Teachers’ Representatives and Stakeholders, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on a Thursday.
She said government policy and regulations stated that the teaching of learners during school holidays is illegal.
The Basic Education Act outlaws holiday tuition where schools provide tuition during April, August and December Holidays at a fee.