More than 350 pupils of Ndhiwa Hospital Primary School in Homa Bay have been forced to learn under difficult conditions after strong winds blew off the roof of their classrooms over the weekend.
The pupils reported to school on Monday morning but found nowhere to undertake their studies following the Saturday incident that left five classrooms without a roof.
The affected pupils have been forced to learn under the sun for the third day because they have not been assisted to get back to the classrooms.
Teachers at the school expressed worries that the situation may persist for weeks because they still do not know when the roof would be replaced.
The head teacher Jefferson Onguti and his deputy Saline Oyomo said the incident has occurred in third term when Std 8 candidates are preparing to sit their national examination.
Onguti said even though a building hosting the candidates was not affected, the incident has interfered with smooth learning operations in the school.
“There is need for quick intervention to enable the affected pupils to resume normal learning. We are teaching them under the direct sun,” the head teacher said.
The school has 13 teachers with 570 pupils who learn in eight classrooms.
Most pupils are also sharing the toilet with their teachers. The head teacher said the building whose roof was destroyed is hosting pupils from Grades 1 to 5.
Onguti said the condition of the classrooms makes it difficult for pupils to study and understand what they are being taught. The Ministry of Education is yet to complete constructing two classrooms in the school.
A number of books belonging to some pupils were also destroyed during the windstorm.
“We appeal to the government to complete the infrastructural development. Let well-wishers also join hands for quick intervention,” he said.
Oyomo expressed concerns that their average performance they have been recording in the national exam might not be realised should they fail to get helped.
She said the current state of the school may make candidates perform dismally.
“We are forced to release pupils to go back home every time it is about to rain because there is no shade in school. This reduces the time pupils spend in school,” the deputy head teacher said.
Oyomo said stationery used by the school is usually kept at the staffroom that was also partly damaged.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
