Drama as angry parents bar headteacher from school over poor exam results

Parents and pupils of Suna Primary School, Homa Bay County, lock out the head teacher over the institution's poor performance. [James Omoro, Standard]

Angry parents and stakeholders of Suna Primary School in Homa Bay County locked out the headteacher due to the school’s poor performance in last year’s KCPE exam.

The school attained a mean score of 213 with only three out of 18 candidates getting above 250 marks.

The parents accused the headteacher, Peter Anyal, of running down the institution ever since he was posted there seven years ago.

While speaking to the Standard, the School patron Mr Godrey Ombogo accused Mr Anyal of mishandling the school funds and not engaging the board in decision making.

“In the whole of 2019, he did not hold a single meeting with the parents and Board of Management (BoM),” said Ombogo.

Mr Ombogo said they have visited the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Rachuonyo East sub-county director’s office several times to seek intervention to no avail.

“We cannot sit and watch as one man kills a school that gave us the foundation to what we are today. If the TSC is not ready to give us a new headteacher, then we will do without one,” said John Owino, a former student at the school.

The parents said they would camp at the school gate up to the end of the week to ensure Mr Anyal does not access his office.

Today, parents flocked and locked the staffroom, the head teacher’s office and the main gate making such areas inaccessible. Mr Anyal, however, did not report to school.

Efforts to seek his comments proved futile after he declined to speak on phone.

The headteacher also failed to reply to the Standard reporter’s text message which sought his comment.
Homa Bay County TSC Director Grace Amira said she had not received the complaints in her office.

"Let me enquire about the problem from our officers in the sub-county," Ms Amira said.