NEP schools miss out on extracurricular activities

By BONIFACE ONGERI

Saddam Rashid Barre is inconsolable. The Wagberi Secondary School student emerged top in this year’s North Eastern Provincial Science Congress Competition, which was held in Sabunley Secondary School in Wajir.

He was among 96 students selected to represent the province in the national competition, which started Friday in Bungoma, Western Province.

But in what has become the norm, the province is not sending any representatives to the competition. "What was the need of going through all this if we can’t compete with the best nationally?" Barre posed.

The science congress competition is meant to showcase and encourage innovation in science and while the rest of the provinces participate, North Eastern Province (NEP) is once again missing.

Barre had come up with a pest and weeds control pesticides. "It was a combination of a certain species of herbs found locally that inhibit the growth of weeds and pests to increase food yields and the quest for food security," a teacher, who was among the judges in the contest, said.

Students are not the only players dismayed by this sad state of affairs; teachers too have expressed disappointment in what they claim is misappropriation of funds meant for school events by the office of the Provincial Director of Education.

"It is frustrating for the students who have put in so much effort only for them not to progress beyond the provincial level," Hamud Mohammed, a teacher in Mandera, said. "It is killing innovation. Those attending the national event might think that the province does not have capable participants, but we have wonderful innovations that need to be recognised and developed."

Trigger discontent

School heads, who sought anonymity, said they cannot facilitate student travel because the funds they used to collect from schools fees were scrapped with the introduction of free secondary education. Now the funds are in the hands of the Provincial Education office.

The province also fails to send representatives in other fields like drama festivals, athletic championships and music.

Hassan Abdille, a teacher in Wajir, said they had done everything possible to prepare the students for the national competition.

The teachers believe that some of the projects, including Barre’s that won in the province, could have also won nationally. Now Barre is dejected and by his own account, it is the second time an opportunity has gone begging.

"This denies students exposure and interaction. The science congress should be scrapped altogether because it is really demoralising," the Provincial Science Congress panel of judges said in a statement.

"Such things trigger discontent and contribute to unrest in schools. Just imagine a scenario where students demand that they must attend such events," a teacher observed.

The turn of events dashes hopes, resulting in students such as Barre losing enthusiasm and refusing to participate in similar endeavours.

"There is no point taking part in such challenges," Abdirashid Ahmed, a student at Wajir High School, said. The science teachers also lamented the fact that PDE’s office also never attends the science meetings.

"There are funds set aside for such activities, but it is being embezzled. Since the introduction of free secondary education, the fund was transferred to the District Education Offices and the Provincial Director of Education offices, but we don’t know where the funds vanish to," another teacher said.

"We are supposed to be paid for assessing the students but if we can’t get paid at least the students should progress," the teacher said.

Leaders in the province are disappointed this has been allowed.

"Maybe they have the mindset that nothing good can come out of the province and think there is no point in releasing the monies for such activities," says Garissa Mayor Mohammed Gabow.

Parents also say they feel let down. "This year we were hopeful our students would compete with others nationally only for them to miss," Abdisamat Yarre, a board member of Bute Secondary School said.

By the time we went to press North Eastern Provincial Education Officer Pascal Makite and his Quality Assurance Counterpart, a Mr Saka, had not responded to our e-mail, short message service and phone calls.