School heads want Kaimenyi to lift ban on holiday tuition

Head teachers relax ahead of the 12th annual conference for the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association at Sheikh Zayed Hall in Mombasa. The conference, which begins today, will end on Friday. [Photo: Omondi Onyango/Standard]

More than 8,000 primary school head teachers arrived in Mombasa yesterday for their annual delegates’ conference where their officials said they would forge a common stand on holiday tuition.

The Government has directed county education officials to ensure schools do not conduct holiday tuition and has urged parents to report those found breaking the law.

But yesterday, some head teachers faulted the Government’s ban on holiday tuition, insisting the exercise was a remedial move to help teachers cover the syllabus.

The schools heads are meeting at Sheikh Zayyed Children Centre in Mombasa under the auspices of Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha).

The conference, whose theme is “digital integration in schools”, will be opened tomorrow by Information, Communication and Technology Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

MANY challenges

The meeting is taking place at a time when the education sector is faced with a myriad of challenges including issues of discipline in schools, the push for the review of the education curriculum and digital integration in schools.

“We would like to come up with a clear road map on how to deal with these issues and make sure we have an education system that meets our development plans,” said Kepsha’s outgoing chairman Joseph Karuga.

Mr Karuga added that the head teachers would make their stand known on school holiday tuition during a session with Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi.

Kepsha officials termed Kaimenyi’s directive as ill-advised, adding that tuition should be allowed in public schools since the syllabus cannot be covered during the normal school days.

“Tuition is as old as education. Even in our time, there was tuition and it has to continue given our syllabus is as huge as it used to be then,” said Mr David Ikunza, head teacher of Kakamega Primary and Kepsha secretary in Trans Nzoia County.

He, however, said the Government should also monitor the programme to make sure that it is not abused by teachers out to make money.

The teachers are also expected to deliberate on the poor condition of school infrastructure.

“Yes, there is a feeling among many head teachers that construction of school infrastructure like classrooms should be devolved to the county governments and the national government to remain with teachers’ salaries and Free Primary Education programmes,” said Ikunza.

Other issues the teachers would deliberate upon include wanton land grabbing.

National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri and National Assembly Committee on Education Chairman Sabina Chege are expected to address the conference.

The head teachers are meeting at a time when the Kenya National Union of Teachers is at loggerheads with Teachers Service Commission over the High Court order requiring the Government to increase teachers’ salaries by 50 to 60 per cent.