Teacher-pupil ratio still low despite high enrollment rate

By Standard Team

Low pupil to teacher ratio, mismanagement, laxity among teachers, and parents’ failure are some of the talking points for dismal KCPE performance by public schools in Central and South Rift.

Failure by local leaders and laxity among district education officers to crack the whip on errant teachers also came to fore.

The Standard found out that few teachers were serving many students affecting performance.

For instance, Kapsimbiri Primary School has only 15 teachers against over 800 pupils. The single stream school had 106 candidates last year.

Some parents blamed the school administration for laxity. “There is no discipline because most of them are always absent and we have always complained but no action is taken,” said Salina Kiptoo, a parent.

She said schools like Bomet Primary and Chepngaina were overpopulated, but still posted impressive results. The parents say despite the school having a well-equipped library, the results have been bad.

“We are asking the district education board to crack a whip on the school administration lest the same scenario will be witnessed next year,” said Rose Kositany.

In Siwot and Siomo primary schools, teachers were on the defence, saying they offered their best.

A Siwot primary teacher, who declined to be named, blamed the rift between the Parents Teachers Association and Board of Governors for the dismal results. He said the two administrative arms have been working against each other.

KNUT Bomet branch assistant executive secretary Malel Langat, however, exonerated teachers from blame saying understaffing was a reality. He said in many schools, teachers are few and could not give attention to individual pupils.

“This is a problem that accumulates right from class one where a teacher attends to so many pupils. It only manifests in class eight when the pupils sit for the final exam,” said Malel. At Mwigito Primary School in Nakuru County, parents and teachers rued the continued poor performance.

The school situated a few kilometres from Egerton University posted a mean score of 172 with only 12 out of 73 students’ scoring above 250 marks.

insecurity

School head master Peter Chege said: “The main challenge we have here is that parents do not support the school teaching staff and pupils despite several meetings with parents and area DEO.”

Naomi Morera, a parent, agreed, saying: “It is sad parents here do not appreciate the importance education and more often than not they do not support initiatives brought by the school.”

Njoro DEO Joan Githinji blamed the community, saying: “Some teachers have been in the school for more than 20 years and this has also contributed to poor results.”

Mwigito was listed with Sirikwa, Natu, Kijabe Township, Marana and Ngano primary school as bottom five schools in Nakuru County.

In Baringo, performance in three cattle rustling-prone districts was dismal owing to frequent attacks and displacement.

Baringo County Education Director Ms Hellen Nyang’au said they would investigate the cause of the poor performance. “We will now investigate issues that affected the poorly performed schools and get strategies to improve the anomaly,” said Nyangau. She said schools in rustling prone areas brought the overall mean score of the county, ranked fourth among the 47 counties, down.

West Pokot and Turkana experienced increased cattle rustling, which affected learning in most schools.

Despite being ranked second best county in the examinations, parts of Elgeyo-Marakwet County suffered widespread cattle rustling and banditry, which even displaced families.

“Cattle rustling and banditry displaced many school going children which affected their performance, especially in Marakwet West and some parts of Marakwet East,” Sabina Aroni, Elgeyo-Marakwet County Education Director said.  She also said lack of co-operation between teachers and parents, was another major cause of poor performance.

“There were reported cases of indiscipline among pupils. There were also cases of over age pupils with some having been born in 1995,” Ms Aroni explained.

Report by Patrick  Kibet, Edwin Makiche and Robert Kiplagat.