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Nakuru Girls High School reopens amid parents' uproar over a Sh3,500 damages fee

A photo of Nakuru Girls High School. Photo taken on 26 May 2018. 

Photo credit: COURTESY/GDC

By  BRET SANYA

Correspondent

Mtaa Wangu

As the third term of the school calendar begins, Nakuru Girls High School reopened its doors to students after being closed last month due to student unrest. The unrest witnessed on July 23 forced the school to shut down and send students home.

In a WhatsApp message shared to parents from the school administration, learning would resume, but students would report on different days.

"All Form 4 students should report on Tuesday; all Form 3 students on Wednesday; and all Form 2 students in classes 2A, 2B, 2C, 2H, 2M and 2K on Thursday. All Form 2 students in classes 2P, 2R, 2S, 2T, 2U and 2W should report on Friday. Additionally, students are required to pay Sh3,500 to cover damages and pay outstanding fees, as well as paying the full term three fees in advance,” read the WhatsApp message sent to parents.

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Some parents complained about the issue of paying the extra Sh3,500.

“Why the rush to pay Sh3,500? This plan was set up to raise money for an unreasonable cause. If the exam papers were damaged and a window was broken, should all the students pay Sh3,500? Who organised the strike, and what action has the school taken against them?” asked one parent.

Another parent asked, “My biggest question is: what is happening at Nakuru Girls? We want to know exactly what is going on. Please answer me before I pay that amount.”

According to Victoria Mulili, the Nakuru County Director of Education, investigations into why the pupils did not take their exams were not carried out after the unrest. However, on Friday, a team of quality assurance auditors will visit the school to investigate the matter and justify the Sh3,500 fee requested by the school.

“We have received similar complaints from parents at the school, but the audit report will inform us of the way forward. I would not like to pre-empt anything, but if we find that the amount was not justifiable and refunds are needed, then the money that the parents have paid as damages would be converted to school fees,” says Ms Mulili.