Transfers row threatens to shut down learning

By BENSON NYAGESIBA newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Tuesday, February 22 2011 at 21:00

Learning in South Kisii district is at near standstill due to wrangles between school sponsors and the Education ministry.

The sponsors are said to be inciting perennial underperforming s not to move to their new stations after being transferred.

Last Friday, Mugori Primary School headteacher, who had been transferred, allegedly locked up the office and left with the keys on the advice of the sponsor.

Following the turn of events, learning in the school was interrupted on that day and on Monday because teachers were unable to access teaching materials from the office.

A school committee member complained to the district education officer, Mrs Adelaide Mbakali, and sought her intervention.

Mrs Mbakali said it was unfortunate for sponsors to advise headteachers not to move to their new stations.

“My office together with the sponsors who sit in the DEB deliberated the issue of teacher transfers for the sake of improving education standards,” Mrs Mbakali said at her office on Tuesday.

She said her office had demoted nine headteachers because of their schools’ poor performance in national examinations.

“The sponsors should not defend underperforming teachers at the expense of the young learners. We should be laying strategies on how to improve the deteriorating standards not wrangles.”

The DEO said the district performed poorly in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination with majority of the candidates scoring below 200 marks out of the possible 500. The district recorded a mean score of 224.

The DEO said: “We cannot be working in an environment where teachers thump their chests because sponsors are supporting them.”