Pressure of industrial action takes its toll on learners, schools

Parents are now faced with the huge burden of settling their children in schools after a week strike that paralysed learning across the country.

Schools will also be forced to curve out extra time to compensate for the lost time, especially for the candidates expected to sit national examinations.

The greatest concern for parents, however, is how they will get transport for their children back to school.

In some cases, children were sent home after Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) pushed on with the strike action, leading to some damages.

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The strike, organised by KUPPET, was suspended on Monday, after extending into its second week.

The parents have voiced their frustration saying the burden of billing the cost that arose from the tutors’ strike lay on their shoulders.

For Nancy Ndung’u, a parent with a student in form three said the strike has been a slap in the face, more than just an inconvenience; and a financial and emotional burden to parents.

“I have exhausted all my money, and being forced to stay with my son for extra days is a slap in the face,” she said, reflecting the frustration of many parents who believe that their children are safer and more disciplined in school.

“There is a lot of peer pressure amongst teenagers at home. When they are in school, we feel as parents that teachers are able to discipline them,” she added.

Didmus Wanyonyi, a father of a Form Three student, expressed his concerns:

“Our children have gone through a lot since they began their senior secondary level. They are now candidates who should be completing the syllabus and preparing for their papers,” Wanyonyi said.

The situation is even dire for parents whose children attend schools that have been affected by student unrest.

John Ochola, a parent from Central Kenya, shared the grim news saying parents have been asked to foot the damage caused by their children.

“We just got communication that the students should report back to school with parents. We have to factor in Sh4,000 for the damage the students caused before they were sent home.”

Some schools, in an effort to curb further disruptions, have decided to make candidates day scholars, isolating them from their peers who may have been involved in the unrest.

Schools are also staring at another season with a burden of recovering the lost time as schools reopen.

Willy Kuria, chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) said the strike has cut the third term, down to just seven and a half weeks from the original two-month period.

“We cannot say that not much time has been lost considering that this is a very short term and examination period. However, principals will have to organize their timetables to create time to recover the lost lessons,” said Kuria.

This is particularly distressing for candidates preparing to sit for their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education national exams.

Kuria said those schools that had suspended learning should recall students immediately to avoid more wastage of time.

“Those which had reported cases of arson, they should recall candidates first as they assessing damages. For others should just call them back,” he added.

Machakos School principal Benson Manoo said:

"Although we sent the students home on Monday this week, we are having a staff meeting to work on a way we can recall them immediately to avoid them wasting a lot of time away."

The Ministry of Education has in the past taken a hard stance, freezing student transfers mid-year and declaring that students involved in arson will not be re-admitted.

The financial responsibility for rebuilding schools damaged during the strikes has been placed squarely on the shoulders of parents, a decision that echoes the policy first introduced by President Mwai Kibaki.

Kuria maintained that schools affected by arson and other destructive incidents would not be using school funds to cover the costs, leaving parents to foot the bill.

“The schools are themselves straining to foot their daily expenditure. Where will the principals get the money to rebuild the damages done by students,” Kuria said.

But while public school students remain at home, private schools have continued with their normal schedules.

Charles Ochome, chairman of the Kenya Private Schools Association, highlighted the stark contrast:

“Teaching and learning in our schools have been normal. Our scenarios are different, and our teachers don’t go on strike like in the public sector. We are not paid by one employer,” Ochome said.