Many schools in Kenya remained closed as anti-government protests escalated amid safety concerns by the parents, who have opted to keep children at home. Learning had just resumed Monday following the mid-term break, though a good number of them remained closed or recorded minimal attendance on Tuesday.
At Moi Avenue Primary School in Nairobi, children never turned up for classes despite teachers reporting for work. However, they were send back home as tensions escalated amid continued clashes between police and demonstrators in the city. “We weren’t asked not to take children to school but I couldn’t have allowed my children to come to school under such circumstances. Last week, the police officers were throwing teargas canisters even inside the school compound,” said Mr. Chris Were a parent in the school.
In Murang’a, a good number of schools sent messages to parents and guardians regarding closure. One such message read, “There will be no school tomorrow Tuesday, July 2, 2024, as a precautionary measure to the planned demonstrations tomorrow.”. “Rest assured, we shall resume classes on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. We sent the children home with some extra work that they can do under supervision.” Another school in Rongai communicated a mixed schedule of physical and online classes to ensure students are safe from any harm.
Reopening has been pushed to Wednesday after the mid-term break at Jamhuri High School, located on the outskirts of the city centre. Only 10 out of 250 children turned up at St Brigid’s Public Primary, Pumwani. Later, children were asked to go home at 10am and teachers left for home early. One of the teachers noted, “We didn’t tell the learners not to come. It’s the parents’ decision, which is good because we don’t have power in terms of protecting them in case their safety is compromised.”.
Elsewhere, similar desertions were reported. In Homa Bay town for example, a majority of students did not report to school, whereas those who did, came with packed lunches. According to the headteacher of Shauri Yako Primary, Mr John Oguttu, all teachers reported for duty but the students did not. At Lake Primary, a similar scenario was recounted and at Ogande Girls, the administration issued a text message asking parents to delay reopening to Wednesday when the half-term break ends.
In Kisii town, Kisii High School pushed its reopening to Wednesday, with a notice asking parents to send children early. At Sironga Girls High School, the administration relayed flexible reporting for Form One and Four students, citing the uncertain situation.
In Siaya town, parents kept children away from schools as a way of avoiding the protests’ escalation. John Ouma, a father of triplets, said, “Last week, one person was shot dead, and that means, safety of my children is not guaranteed.”
While most had shut down and others in towns had recorded low attendance, some in the rural areas, like West Alego, Upanda, or Palpal, remained open as learning went on normally. In West Alego, the Wang Chieng Primary School continued to hold lessons as usual, undeterred by the chaos in the towns.
These protests have brought an unusual calm to the otherwise busy roads and minimized the amount of traffic. As schools navigate these uncertain times, parents and educators keep the students out of harm’s way by ensuring their safety and well-being above all else.