• Leaders say no school will be closed because of unrest, students will not be sent home as they frequently demand.
• Arsonists recently burnt laboratory at Kizurini Secondary School in Kayoleni ward; dormitory for 100 students burnt at George's Secondary School in Kayafungo ward.
Image: ELIAS YAA
Kilifi Students who burn school property, riot or strike will not receive bursaries or scholarships and they will not be sent home, but will have to study under trees.
That's what angry Kilifi leaders said on Saturday. The money usually is sent to schools.
Speaking in Kaloleni, the leaders warned students against criminal activities including the torching of school property and other unrest.
They spoke during the handing over of a model administration block, four classrooms and a library at Gogo Raruhe Primary School. The model school block cost Sh8 million NG-CDE funds.
Kaloleni MP Paul Katana urged parents to work with the leaders and school management to end indiscipline.
Trouble and arson break out when students want to go home to avoid exams; sometimes they protest against poor food, poor infrastructure and teachers who refuse to listen to their grievances. Sometimes they are enraged when they are forbidden to watch sports on TV.
Coast schools traditionally perform very poorly in national examinations and indiscipline is a major factor.
“Our bursary money for needy children is not enough, so not all of them will benefit at the same time. If your child has been considered for support and he engages in criminal activities, we won't tolerate that," Katana said.
"We require all students to be disciplined and concentrate on their studies. We send students to school to learn, not to burn schools,” he said.
Our work as leaders is to build schools. We will not allow students whose 'work' is to burn school properties.Kaloleni MP Paul Katana
The warning follows a suspected arson fire that destroyed a laboratory at Kizurini Secondary School in Kayoleni ward.
At St George's Secondary School in Kayafungo ward, arsonists destroyed a dormitory for 100 students. No one was hurt.
About 20 students have been questioned over the fire.
The students are sleeping in a makeshift dorm after the school refused their demands to be sent home.
Katana urged the police to prosecute any student destroying property or rioting.
“Our work as leaders is to build schools, we will not allow students whose 'work' is to burn school properties,” he said.
Kilifi Assembly Deputy Leader of majority Sammy Ndago condemned property destruction by students while leaders are working tirelessly to improve education standards by providing the best learning environment.
He said that for a long time every year in the second term, Coast schools lead others in student unrest and destruction of property.
"This reinforces the notion that our children do not embrace education. It's one reason we are always recording poor results in national exams,” Ndago said.
He said indiscipline would not be tolerated, noting that students cause trouble because they always want to go home.
"These students should not be given any school fees support," he said.
Kaloleni assistant county commissioner Benson Mokami called upon parents to talk to their children about moral values.
“While leaders and teachers are working to ensure school security and development, our students are burning schools and destroying millions of shillings worth of property.
"This has become their pattern when they want to go home," Mokami said.
He said no one will be allowed to go home in cases of unrest or property destruction.
“If they intend to burn their school so they can go home, let them sleep under a tree but learning must continue," Mokami said.
The MP said the NG-CDF has rolled out a plan to ensure each ward has a modern administration block, new classrooms furnished with desks and a library.
The primary schools to benefit are Migwaleniin Mwanamwinga ward, Mwanawiji and Mwakolo in Kaloleni ward and Baraka in Mariakani ward.
(Edited by V. Graham)