A section of Makini School Parents Teachers Association (PTA) have been accused of trying to sabotage learning process in the school.
The representatives led by PTA Chair (Nixon Bugo), Deputy Chair (Catherine Oyondi) and treasurer (John Kabiru) have been accusing the management of the school of introducing the Cambridge Curriculum to run parallel with the Kenyan 8-4-4 curriculum.
The Makini School has been running the curriculum since March 2020 alongside the Kenyan 8-4-4 curriculum on the online classes.
In a letter dated August 17, the representatives through lawyer Julie Soweto said that the decision to introduce the Cambridge Curriculum was made without proper and adequate notice, consultation and participation of all the parents at Makini Schools.
Read: Makini Schools Management Threatens To Sue PTA, Media Over Strained Relationship
“It must be appreciated that the choice made by existing parents to subscribe to the local Kenyan curricula and enroll their children in Makini Schools was taken after careful consideration of other available options including other schools that offer the Cambridge Curriculum in Kenya; and is a long term decision that ought not to be interfered with lightly,” wrote the lawyer.
The parents further say that all the current teachers and support staff are being trained on the Cambridge Curriculum, pointing out to a possible overhaul of the existing system.
“The training of the existing teaching staff on the Cambridge Curriculum heralds the intention to convert them to the Cambridge framework of learning while starving the existing system of the same resources. The actions so far of the Managers of Makini Schools signify an intention to subvert the current education system being offered at Makini Schools with a view to rendering it undesirable; and thereby railroading and forcing the hand of existing parents to either change involuntarily to the Cambridge Curriculum and/or remove their children from Makini Schools,” the letter adds.
In response, in a letter dated August 26, the school management through lawyer Patrick Ogola said that the decision was arrived at after “consultations with all stakeholders”.
However, the management accused the parents of failing to attend “feedback sessions” where they were called in regard to the changes.
“The Schools Administration have invited the committee of the PTA at least at two occasions during the past few months to attend feedback sessions, which they declined. As a result, the School’s Administration continued to engage with parents,” Ogola says in the letter.
The administration further says that Cambridge Curriculum will be optional and open to all interested parents who would wish to enroll their children and that there is no plan to convert the school wholly into the Cambridge curriculum or to undertake any activities that would be to the detriment of learners enrolled in the 8.4.4 system.
Read: Makini School Parents, Teachers Clash With Management As Woes Worsen
“For avoidance of doubt please be advised that no parent or student would be forced either directly or passively to register for or change to the Cambridge Curriculum. To the contrary all participating parents and learners form part of the Makini family at their own choice,” added Ogola.
In another letter by the accused members to the Regional County Director, they say that the school lied to the ministry about the resources available for running the two curricula.
“We are aware that the Schools’ Management gave you wrong and inaccurate numbers (data) that grossly over-estimates the Schools’ capacity to run both the Cambridge and the 8-4-4 Curricula. This was deliberately done to cover-up the existing inadequacies that the PA (Parents’ Association) is fully aware of and has raised with management,” adds the letter.
Upon further investigations by Kahawa Tungu, a source within the school intimated to us that the tussle had nothing to do with the curriculum, and that the section of parents wanted part of the management ousted.
“The PTA Chair (Nixon Bugo), Deputy Chair (Catherine Oyondi) and treasurer (John Kabiru) are doing everything in their power to ensure that education in Makini comes to a grinding halt,” says our source.
According to a list leaked to us, the three alongside five other parents have not had their children attend to e-learning classes since March. Others in the list include Dr Bagaka Obuya, Ishmael Omol, Lilian Osundwa, Mr Karani and Agnes Njoroge.
Other PTA members, 13, are said to be in support of the school administration.
“They have been malicious and have done everything they can to try and destabilize the school. They are also demanding the removal of some management members. This has nothing to do with educating children,” says our source.
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