Disaster in waiting: Tigania East schools near collapse

Eighty-five per cent of the classrooms and other structures in some Tigania East schools are dilapidated, lack floors and are near collapse.

That doesn't help cognitive development. Learning under trees is better.

A spot check by the Star noted some classrooms have no concrete floors, some concrete floors are broken and leaking, some rooms have no windows and many are built of old sagging timber that could collapse at any time.

Others are built of iron sheets, scorching in hot weather.

A case study is Ntulili Primary school with 670 pupils and 12 teachers.

Three Early Childhood Development Classes are built of timber and contain tens of small children. Classes 4,5 and 1 have 64, 60 and 40 pupils, respectively. All flood when it rains.

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s administration says it has built several ECDE classrooms, yet has not constructed a single classroom.

Meru executive for Education Linner Nkirote told the Star the classes will be built next year.

Ntulili Primary School Parents were recently called upon to construct a water trench around the after the classrooms turned muddy. the 'school' is built on black cotton soil that easily gets muddy and stinks when it rains.

A photo of pupils in muddy classrooms went viral.

Ironically, the improving performance of Ntulili Primary School has been attracting pupils from its neighbourhood.

Despite the dilapidated structures, the pupils had a mean score of 265.8, while the best pupil scored 352 marks.

How pupils clean themselves daily is also a problem.

After a recent rain, the school was desperate because pupils could not pay attention with mud was above their feet.

Schools need interesting, well-organised and neat environments. Ideally, children's work and pictures of school activities are displayed on walls and the environment should be cheerful, orderly and focussed on the fun of learning.

The school is about 500 metres from Isiolo International Airport and a 25-minute walk to Isiolo town.

Seventy per cent of CDF money is supposed to support education, yet there's not a single apparent development project in Ntulili Primary School.

Tigania East subcounty director of Education Dabasso Soru confirmed that more than 85 per cent of classes in several schools in Tigania are in pathetic condition.

He said none of the schools in the subcounty can compare with those in Murang’a county where he was posted before his transfer to Meru.

“I was called when the situation became uncontrollable. We lobbied the Tigania East CDF to help build the classes but nothing has happened. They just went there to assess the situation," Soru said.

"The ministry has no allocation to assist us. The school is in dire need. Whoever who has the potential to assist, please help us.

I have also advised the headteacher to write a proposal for intervention. I think only two classes have permanent structures.

Some pupils are forced to study under trees.

(Edited by V. Graham)