A school in Meru is on the spot after reportedly barring ten of its candidates from sitting this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE).
The learners from Matewa Day Secondary School in Tigania Central were reportedly sent away on exam day for various reasons including fee arrears and pregnancy. One candidate who was pregnant reported being denied access to the exam room.
“When she went to school on exam day, she was sent away. Why should she be denied access to the exam room yet she was registered?” asked, Joseph Muketha, the girl’s father.
The girl is reportedly among the four learners at the school who were pregnant.
Another parent, Ms Penina Karimi, said her son was sent home over fees arrears.
“I have been struggling to pay fees for my son. He has not been in school due to health issues and lack of fees. The teacher said he cannot sit for his exams because he has been absent,” Ms. Karimi said.
Two other parents, Mr Amedeo Kimathi and Mr Patrick Kaugiria, also said their children were sent away from school over school fees balances.
“My child was sent home in September but I could not raise the school fees. My daughter became pregnant while at home. She was denied access to the exam room because I owe the school Sh10, 000,” Kaugiria said.
Other parents have alleged that the school was not keen on having candidates who have not been in class in recent months as it feared they may negatively affect the institution’s performance in this year’s KCSE.
Meru County Commissioner Fred Ndunga said the school is being investigated for going against government policy requiring that every learner be registered for national exams.
“I have instructed the DCI and the Ministry of Education to get to the root of the problem. The government’s position is that every candidate must write their exams. This is why we go as far as delivering papers to hospitals and prisons. The only excuse admissible is if the candidate is critically ill,” Ndunga said.
Efforts to get a comment from the school administration on the move to bar the students from doing their exams were futile.
