Tartar Girls School closed after students held protests over transfer of principal

Tartar Girls protest over transfer of school principal. [Iresheel Shanzu]

Tartar Girls National School in West Pokot County has been closed indefinitely after students went on rampage over transfer of school principal.

 The students who never attended classes since Monday held protests on Wednesday causing damage to the school property. The students insisted that they wanted their former principal Priscillah Kamau back.

The new school’s Principal Sarah Tum who was moved from St. Joseph Chepterit High School in Nandi County and has stayed in the school for a month.

The Students marched to the office of County Director of Education in Kapenguria but were repulsed by police officers.

Speaking to the standard over phone, County Education Director Jarred Obiero confirmed that the students became violent breaking windows, throwing stones all over the school compound and threatened to jump out of the school compound if they are forced to stay in school.

Obiero ordered the closure of the school because the students had become unruly and even threatened to burn the school.

“When students start being violent it’s not good to leave them in the school. We are trying to investigate the matter because the principal left one month ago and she had already handed over. If they were against the transfer of the school principal they should have acted instantly. We suspect there is some level of incitement going on at the school,” said Obiero.

Obiero refuted the transfer of the former principal as an excuse for the students to stage protests citing that the board held a meeting on Wednesday and identified three BOM teachers who were behind the chaos in the school and they have been dismissed.

“We are conducting investigation with the county commissioner. We will give a detailed report after investigations are over,” he said.

The school has a population of more than 1500 students.