Boys neglected in favour of girls, say school heads

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) has raised concerns over the fewer number of boys being enrolled into schools and their consequent dwindling performance.

Kessha national vice chairperson Kahi Indimuli said the KCSE examination results released on Thursday by Education CS Fred Matiang’i was worrying. Only four boys appeared among the top 20 students nationally.

“Over the past years, people have concentrated on the girl-child to such an extent that the boy child is no longer in the picture. The empowering of girls has swallowed up the boys who have not been equally empowered,” Indimuli said.

“In Sabatia Sub-county, for instance, the number of boys being enrolled in primary schools decreases every year, yet no one comes up to investigate why this is happening.”

The Chavakali High School principal said time has now come to look into what is ailing boys.

He noted that in second term of this year, many boys’ schools were burnt down, but no one took time to analyse circumstances under which the schools were set on fire.

“If you compare conditions in many girls’ schools, you realise they are far better than those in boys’ schools. The government should now look into ways of creating a level learning ground,” Indimuli said. He said the TSC should consider many factors before punishing principals whose schools register poor performance.