Three students expelled for being ‘academic weaklings’

By Stanley Ongwae and Naftal Makori

Nyamira, Kenya: Three Form Four students from a school in Nyamira County will not sit for national exams after they were expelled for allegedly being academic weaklings.

The students of Rigoma Secondary School in Masaba North are now desperate after they were informed they will not be allowed to continue with their studies at the institution.

The students were dismissed on Wednesday and their registration monies for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education refunded, almost a month after the end of the enrolment window for exams.

The students were expelled by the board of management of the school in the presence of their parents who were equally appalled by the decision. The students said the school administration was on a serious witch-hunt that followed their refusal to repeat Form Three early this year.

Refused to repeat

“We were called to the office and questioned over our decision to defend a group of boys who were caught drunk during a sports event,” said one of the students.

According to a teacher at the school who talked on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from the administration, the four were fixed because the head teacher felt they would pull down the school mean-grade in this year’s KCSE exams since they were weak in class and they had refused to repeat.

However, the principal Ms Jane Samba declined to comment on the issue.

Parents of the boys questioned if the expulsion was not intended to get rid of their sons.

“What I have not understood is why the teacher expelled the children when registration has been closed,” wondered one of the aggrieved parents.

“Masaba North Director of Education Evans Ogamba said the students were only excluded from the school but the Board of Management of the school was yet to write to the education office.