Headteacher locks out parents, students for lateness
About 20 parents at Karen C Secondary school have accused the institution’s principal of sending away students for one week after they reported late to school.
The parents told Nairobi News the head of the Lang’ata based school has chased them away for the past week after they reportedly did not arrive on time when schools reopened.
“We are so frustrated, this is very unfair, we are informed that Ms. Atieno Otieno is the new principal and she has instructed the watchmen to lock us out yet some of us have come from as far as Moyale and have been rained on with children on the road even after paying full school fees,” Mr. Peter Ndung’u, a parent told Nairobi News.
The parents have urged Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to intervene.
“I’ve been sleeping in lodgings with my child and carrying her luggage to this school since last week because we come from Limuru and it is very expensive to go home and back, we spend the whole day here at the gate pleading with watchmen to talk to her but she won’t even see or attend to us, we need help,” Margaret Wanjiru, a parent at the school narrates.
According to Jane Auma, another parent, the headteacher has refused to pick or return her calls.
“How can someone do this to us in the middle of a pandemic when we are all struggling? This is very cruel of her, we all have our reasons as to why we did not make it to this school by 8 AM as she had demanded. Those who arrived with children at midday on that day were also turned away, I hope the ministry of education intervenes so that our children do not miss out.”
The headteacher was not available for comment, neither was Nairobi County CEC Janet Muthoni.