TSC delays leave a Kirinyaga school with one student, eight teachers
Delays by the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) to post a new principal to Mugwandi Mixed Secondary School in Kirinyaga County have left it facing closure due severe shortage of students with the school currently having one student and eight teachers raising concerns among locals and relevant stakeholders.
The public school has only one form-two student enrolled with eight teachers employed by the TSC with the principal being appointed this term.
According to Kirinyaga Central Member of Parliament Gachoki Gitari, the dire situation at the school is to be blamed on delays by the Teachers Service Commission in appointing a school principal, which prompted many parents to transfer their children to other public schools.
The legislator stated that a board meeting will soon be held to determine the way forward for the school.
“We will convene a board meeting at the school to determine the way forward,” the lawmaker assured.
The board meeting is expected to discuss strategies for restoring parental confidence and encouraging enrolment as the community and stakeholders are currently working on solutions to save the school.
The fate of Mugwandi Secondary School hangs in the balance as it faces one of the most critical challenges in its history.
Some parents who spoke to local media echoed the MP’s sentiments, while others pointed to the school’s name as a possible reason for its unpopularity.
In the local dialect, Kikuyu, “Mugwandi” means “downfall.” Which many parents said scares them to bring their kids to the school.
“How can my child thrive in a school with such a name?” questioned Eunice Wambui, a concerned parent.
Former students of the school have expressed deep disappointment over its potential closure.
Anthony Kibuchi, a former Nairobi County boss and an alumnus of Mugwandi Primary School, lamented the situation.
“I attended Mugwandi Primary before the secondary school was constructed by the NG-CDF. It is devastating to hear that the school now has only one student and eight teachers, and it might close,” he told journalists.
