Kenyan secondary school where teachers and students share toilet

SIAYA: This is Kanyibok Secondary School in West Yimbo, Siaya County, where teachers are operating under trees for lack of a staff room. The school does not have other important facilities such as toilets and a laboratory.

The school was started four years ago under community initiative to allow those children who could not afford good boarding schools in the region access education. Their thirst for education has seen them move on at the face of A myriad of problems.

The school has 50 students, seven teachers and a makeshift kitchen despite being among the Government-sponsored secondary schools in Bondo constituency.

The head teacher, Gilbert Ojonya says the school, which has more than 50 students, has only two pit latrines that are shared between students and the staff.

Mr.Gilbert Ojonya showing the toilet that is being shared by the staffs and students.PHOTO/ISAIAH GWENGI

"One is used by female students while the other one is shared by male students and staff. We have trained ourselves in a way that the teachers only go call of nature during break time," said Ojonya adding that the working conditions here are extremely difficult but they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of the learners.

Mr Ojonya who The Standard caught up with while seated under a tree, said that he is doubling as the school bursar since they are only two teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

"The school came into being following the long distances that children had to walk to attend secondary day schools in West Yimbo location," he said.

He said maintaining teaching staff was a great challenge because only a few can contend with the condition, including little salary.

"Our other five teachers are employed by the Board of Management and they are looking for greener pastures. Many of them have come and left for other schools elsewhere especially female teachers," he said.

Ironically, while other schools have three science laboratories, students here walk for more than five kilometre s to Majengo mixed secondary school to undertake their science practicals.

The principal, Mr Gilbert Ojonya showing the book store. (PHOTO: ISAIAH GWENGI/ STANDARD)

"We initially conducted our science practicals in a neighbouring private secondary school but they became uncomfortable with it," he told the Standard.

The students also have no play field and must share with the primary school section.

"Even though the Ministry of Education demands that we participate in co-curricular activities, we don't have a place where our students can train or even the games equipment," he said.

As if this is not enough, the Ministry of Education pegs its funding to schools based on population and the school charges half of what the ministry has indicated in the new fees guidelines.

He said, "The new fees guidelines for secondary day schools is Sh28, 000 but we are charging Sh14, 500.This is a big challenge with the current high cost of living."

According to the principal, Otuoma community, where the school is established, built one classroom after raising Sh230, 000 last year. He said the pioneer candidates sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2015 and that they are targeting a mere mean of 5.5.