Kiambu County pupils suffer as classrooms are condemned

Pupils of Kaibere Primary School in Gatundu North take their lesson on the school’s verandah after their classroom was condemned. [PHOTOS: KAMAU MAICHUHIE/Standard]

Pupils of Kaibere Primary School in Gatundu North have been taking lessons in the open field after their classrooms were condemned early this year.

And every time the heavens open, the 248 pupils and their teachers are forced to cut short their lessons to shelter on the verandah of the condemned building.

The school classrooms and staff-room were condemned in January, this year, after huge cracks were seen on walls and floors.

The school which opened its doors in 1966 has dilapidated buildings which, according to engineers, are no longer safe.

In total, six of the school’s eight classrooms that were accommodating 180 pupils have been condemned.

A section of pupils and teachers who spoke to journalists said they were suffering as a result of constantly being rained on as well as being exposed to cold weather.

“We hope a solution will soon be found since learning has greatly been affected. Many pupils and teachers have actually contracted flu from being exposed to rain and cold,” said a teacher who spoke in confidence.

School head teacher Peter Mutura said the decision to have pupils take their classes at the playground was reached after it became clear that learning inside the condemned classrooms was endangering their lives.

Macharia Kamau, the school’s Board of Management chairman, said the affected classes and the staffroom started to develop cracks way back in 2009, with the situation getting worse in 2014.

He said pleas to the Ministry of Education and the area Constituency Development Fund to help in constructing new classrooms had fallen on deaf ears.

“The buildings are a disaster-in-waiting. They are not safe for the pupils to learn in since they can collapse anytime,” said Mr Kamau.

TRANSFERS SHELVED

The chairman called on Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi to intervene and ensure they the school gets new classes since parents could not afford to raise enough funds to put up the needed infrastructure.

A member of the BoM Joseph Macharia said plans to close down the institution and transfer the pupils to another school were shelved after they realised the nearest public school was 10 kilometres away.

“We are appealing to well-wishers and people of goodwill to come to the aid of the school and help us put up new classes,” he said.

However, even as the about 100 parents wait for help from well-wishers, they have decided to put up temporary classes where the pupils will learn from. They have each contributed Sh1, 000 to meet the cost of building the temporary classes.

And perhaps eager to learn in the new classes that will shield them from the cold and rain, the pupils help with construction work during break time.