Dilemma of 2000 absent students in Mai Mahiu school

Dilemma of 2000 absent students in Mai Mahiu school

Dilemma of 2000 absent students in Mai Mahiu school

Since the flood disaster that claimed 62 lives and left over 30 more missing, Ngeya Primary School in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru county, has been dealing with an unusually high absenteeism rate.

Over 2,000 students have stayed absent from the classroom in the five days since the schools resumed after a two-week break due to torrential rains that caused floods. Over 3,000 students attend the school; according to education officials, more than half of them have not shown up for class.

In addition to the stress brought on by the incident, parents and educators are blaming their absence on the relocation of over 100 families into two camps in Mai Mahiu town.

This occurred as a committee that was formed to deal with the problems that the families of those killed in the accident were facing started the process of purchasing books and school clothes for the students.

According to Josephat Nduru, the head teacher of the school, the majority of the students attend from the areas impacted by the devastating Mai Mahiu floods that happened two weeks ago.

According to him, the majority of the pupils were unable to attend classes because they misplaced their stuff, which included books, school uniforms, and other supplies.

He stated, “This school has over 3,000 students, but over 2,000 of them were affected by the dam tragedy and have not returned because they are not mentally strong.”

Nduru identified mental instability which has caused trauma as noticeable among the students even as counsellors continued engaging them and their parents.

He urged the government to avail counsellors and mentors to team up with the teachers who have formed a mental wellness team to address mental issues among the students.

Ann Wanjiru, a parent, observed that children suffered the most psychological damage and that many of them were traumatized to the point that they were unable to sleep.

“We are glad that teachers recognize that many of the students are unable to return to class, and the only course of action at this point is counseling,” the spokesperson stated.

According to Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Mutua Kisilu, classes had resumed normally in the majority of the region’s schools.

In the meantime, parents’ withdrawal of students prevented two secondary schools in Kakamega County from reopening on Monday.

In the Matungu constituency, St. Stephen’s Namulungu mixed secondary school and Namulungu Girls are still abandoned, with overgrown grass, a security officer stationed outside the gate, and damaged school property. When the 450-student schools did not reopen as scheduled, stakeholders began to express concern.

The Standard established that both schools were headed by one principal who later opted to phase out the girls’ school and decided to move some students to Namulungu Mixed Secondary School without consulting the sponsor, parents and other stakeholders.

At a crisis meeting with the two school boards on Tuesday, Bishop Joseph Wandera of the ACK Mumias Diocese ordered that the principal be suspended and that the schools be opened immediately.