John Oywa
21 January 2008
Nairobi — Schools are on the verge of shutting down as the post-election violence takes its toll on education in Nyanza province.
Parents were preparing for the worst after it emerged that schools would not re-open today.
Instead, the few secondary boarding schools that had remained open started sending students home for fear of fresh violence.
Education officials in the province told The Standard that schooling appeared to have collapsed in the province.
The situation was worsened by reports that villagers were warning head teachers against re-opening.
One of Nyanza's top schools - Maranda High - sent its students home after villagers threatened teachers.
The villagers claim that by continuing to have lessons, the teachers were not in solidarity with those protesting President Kibaki's re-election.
But a parent whose son was among those sent away from Maranda, Mr Gideon Ogolla, expressed shock at the turn of events.
"We could have spared our schools for heavens sake. We are closing our schools when students from other parts of the country are learning as usual. The Government will not postpone the national exams just because schools in Nyanza were closed," said Ogolla.
He added: "We are bitter because President Kibaki stole our votes, but we must tread carefully on the education of our children. Keeping them at home will only ruin their future."
He said the hostility against teachers was unjustified.
Last week, the Nyanza Provincial Education officer, Mr Geoffrey Cherongis, confirmed that many head teachers had received threats from villagers.
The warnings were extended to both teachers and non-teaching staff, some of whom have since vacated the institutions.
The villagers want institutions to support their course of mass action, arguing their democratic rights were breached following the flawed poll results.
Cherongis said he had consequently instructed District Education Officers to report the threats to police stations.
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