Parents whose children were enrolled in private schools flocked to public schools in Voi, Taita Taveta county, on Monday seeking admission.
They said they could not afford high fees charged in private schools. A spot check by the Star established that a large number of private schools did not reopen for failure to meet the required protocols.
At Mwanyambo Primary School in Voi town, it was a beehive of activity as the school administration balanced between taking data of pupils and admitting new ones from private schools.
“We have received a number of pupils from private schools. Most of their parents lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic,” Livingstone Mwaluma, the head teacher, said.
He said the school had to set aside extra classes to accommodate the swelling number of new pupils.
Mwaluma said the school installed enough handwashing points, expressing his satisfaction with the preparedness for reopening.
Benson Mrombo, a parent, said he had to transfer his Grade 4 son to a public school after failing to raise fees.
“I lost my job in April and have been forced for run a boda boda business that is not even doing well. I could not watch my son stay at home as others went to school,” he said.
He said no communication was given by the private school on reopening, suspecting that it had possibly been closed.
Edited by Henry Makori