Boy misses KCPE due to Sh280 'feeding fee'

Erick Asila (left) and his mother Roda Asila. The widow has appealed for Government intervention after her son was allegedly denied a chance to sit KCPE examinations at Got Kokech Primary School, Homa Bay. [PHOTO: JAMES OMORO/STANDARD]

HOMA BAY COUNTY: A Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidate in Homa Bay County has missed several papers allegedly because he could not afford to pay Sh280 to feed invigilators.

Erick Otieno Asila, 15, a pupil at Got Kokech Primary School missed two papers on Tuesday and another Wednesday after he was allegedly sent home by the head teacher, Mr Charles Nyamwaya.

He claims on Tuesday morning, a contract teacher Douglas Owino told him that he had been instructed to order him to return home.

Asila said he went to the head teacher who told him he would not sit exams because he had not attended school since June.

"I requested the head teacher to give me an opportunity to sit the examination because I did not have the feeding fee of Sh280. I thought he would forgive me. I almost fainted when he told me that my name had already been deregistered from the National Examination Council data bank," Asila said.

He went back to school Wednesday morning with his mother but the head teacher did not budge.

The boy was only allowed to enter the examination room when journalists accompanied him to school to investigate the allegations.

Unfortunately, Asila had already missed the third paper, Science, but managed to write  Kiswahili, which was going on.

REMEDIAL LESSONS

His mother Roda Asila, said her son's tribulations started in June after she was unable to raise Sh360 to pay teachers who offer remedial lessons and those who are employed on contract.

"I lost their father Charles Asila in 2006 and life has been unbearable for me. It has been difficult to raise my six children. I was not able to pay the school levies they needed," she said.

The 38-year-old appealed to the Government to come to the aid of her son.

The head teacher, however, denied allegations that he had stopped the pupil from sitting the examination because of fees.

"The only thing I can tell you is that the boy did not sit the papers because he came to school late. I don't know anything about the alleged levies but the boy has also not been coming to school for many months even though I sent several people to call him," Mr Nyamwaya said.

The Co-ordinator, Homa Bay County Education Network Julius Omuga and his counterpart of the Paralegal Network Benard Onyango demanded that punitive action be taken against Mr Nyamwaya for violating the rights of the child.

"The head teacher is saying that the boy was late on Tuesday yet he went to school before the examination started. Why are they giving him the examination when he has missed the first paper today?" wondered Omuga.

Homa Bay Sub County Director of Education William Minyiri said they had launched investigations into the matter.