• Learning has been paralysed for a week at Kobodo primary school in Ndhiwa constituency due to the collapse of a latrine block.
• Parents said they urged the school management to send pupils home due to a lack of sanitary facilities.
Pupils from Kobodo primary school in Ndhiwa constituency have remained at home for a week following the collapse of a latrine block.
The school was closed down on Monday last week after the ten-unit block collapsed on May 18.
Parents said they urged the school management to send pupils home due to a lack of sanitary facilities.
However, the school’s headteacher Benson Ogutu said the pupils had not been in school because they were going for sports in other schools.
“We are in a sports season and anybody saying the school is closed is lying. My pupils have been going for sports,” Ogutu said.
Pupils of classes 1 to 7 have remained at home since the incident except for Class 8s who attend school in the morning.
When journalists visited the school last Friday, there were some villagers who had volunteered to dig a pit for constructing another latrine in the school.
Led by Joseph Magola and Joram Okomo, they said they were uncertain about when their children would resume learning.
“The children haven’t learned in the school since Monday. We have decided to dig the pit to help them,” Magola said.
The parents fear the situation may affect the performance of the school’s KCPE candidates.
“Time lost can never be recovered in education. This problem will interfere with KCPE candidates,” he said.
They appealed to area MP Martin Owino to intervene.
Area assistant chief Enose Nyawade criticised the school management for the collapse of the latrine, attributing it to a shoddy job done by the contractor.
The latrine was constructed less than six months ago.
He blamed the school headteacher Benson Ogutu of not telling the truth.
“The headteacher has refused to reveal the name of the contractor who did this shoddy work. There should be accountability in the expenditure of funds in the school,” Nyawade said.
Okomo accused the head teacher of demanding Sh100 per child without parents’ consent yet primary education is free.
Okomo said the money should be paid this term for improvement of the school infrastructure.
“Some parents have paid the Sh100 but it is unfortunate that the headteacher does not issue them with receipts. We need the relevant authority to investigate him,” Okomo said.
Ogutu defended himself saying the Sh100 being collected had been agreed upon by the school management committee and parents.