Village school where baby class starts at 6.30am in Laikipia County

School where learning starts at 6.30am in Laikipia County. (Photo: James Munyeki/Standard)

It is 6.30am. Learning is going on at a remote village school. A bunch of babies have braced biting cold, harsh terrain, empty stomachs to be in school on time.

Welcome to Taifa Takatifu Primary School, a respected private school tucked deep inside a dusty village in Rumuruti, Laikipia County. It is alleged that here, given that the school is a top performer, children as young as four years report at 6.30am.

The school was ranked the best in last year’s Kenya Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE) in Laikipia West Sub-County with a mean score of 348 marks. When The Standard on Saturday team arrives here at 6.37am, most of the minors are settling in for lessons.

Refreshing uji

One parent says she walks for more than 5km to the school daily to ensure her four-year-old daughter is in class by 6.45am.

“I live in the outskirts of Rumurui town. I have to wake up the child as early as 5am so as not to get late. It has been so hectic carrying my child for that long distance,” she says.

And the morning cold has started to take a toll on the child’s health.

“Since school opened last month she has developed a persistent cough. I think it is the morning cold plus the dust. Now that the doctors are on strike and I cannot afford to take her to a private hospital, I am just treating her from home,” she says with optimism.

Equally determined to see her child get an education despite the many odds is Mrs Grace Wamaitha. She says her four-year-old son not only attends the morning classes but is also required to attend remedial tuition on Saturday that ends at 4pm. There’s more. The children also go to school during the April and August holidays.

“You are shocked to hear that?” That is normal here. The children go to school from Monday to Saturday and during the holidays. Teachers normally go on with their duties as usual. Our children do not even have time to rest or play,” she laments.

But pray, why do these parents take their children to school at such an ‘ungodly’ hour and on holidays yet the Ministry of Education has strict guidelines on that?

“Yes I know that it is illegal, but what can I do? I do not want my child to be victimised,” she says.

But for Jane Chepng’etich, her reasons for taking her two children to school early are different. For her, breakfast is the catch. Because of the drought a decent meal is hard to come by for most households.

“I do not mind even if breakfast was served at 6am, I will still drop them at that time. Where I come from there is no food or water to feed them. Though the children have to come here early, they do not complain because they know that once they get to school, a hot cup of porridge awaits them,” she says.

School feeding programme or not, clearly the school is flouting the Basic Education Act. Contacted, the head teacher Peter Mbugua refuted all these claims.

“These are just malicious rumours from people who do not wish us well. Those little ones come even as late as 8am and we do not victimise them. There is no way that we can force parents to drop their children that early,” he said.

He went on: “Most parents who bring their children early are those who may have engagements elsewhere and they first drop their children here at their own will before they go for their errands,” he said.

He said the school feeding programme is also a contributing factor.

“As you can see, the drought has hit hard in this area. Many families sleep hungry. So that is why the parents bring their children early so that they can have a meal before class can start,” he noted.

The principal said pupils attend holiday tuition on Saturday, but not those in lower primary and kindergarten.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the ministry had received complaints about the school and it was being investigated.

“I can assure you that we shall be in that school shortly. We cannot allow such habits. Should we establish that somebody has decided to disobey the guidelines issued by the Ministry, they will face the full force of the law,” he warned.