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By Isabella Maua
Parents from Mount Elgon have been urged to prioritize their children’s education by paying school fees on time and providing basic needs to their children as required.
In his speech during the Thanksgiving ceremony at St. Francis Kongit High School in Kaptama on Friday, Joseph Nyachwaya, the school principal, observed that many parents have failed to support their children, hence the soaring teenage pregnancies in the region.
“We’re so proud of the students who did their best in 2023 KCSE through the hardships in this area; however, many could not achieve their best because most parents are still oblivious to the benefits of education,” observed Nyachwaya.
He further noted that Kongit, being a day school located in the most interior part of Kaptama and literally near the forest, it’s essential for education stakeholders to work collaboratively so as to ensure the school is competitive.
“Being the top day school in Mt. Elgon, to be precise, the sixth out of seventeen secondary schools, we are challenged to push on to the best of our potential because we are able,” he added.
One of the notorious trends that has gravely brought down the performance of many schools in Mt. Elgon, as mentioned by many teachers who spoke during the occasion, is absenteeism.
“It’s dismaying that a student can walk into this school, present all the needed materials for registration, then leave and come again during the KCSE kick-off and expect to pass the examination miraculously,” reported one of the teachers.
According to the board members and parent representatives, most of these students are absconders who are neither at school nor at home during the entire learning process.
On the other hand, Morris Kiboi, an Academic Board of Management member at the school, called upon parents to be close to their parents and guide them accordingly.
Tom Charles, an educationist, and the guest of honour encouraged the students to be aggressive, persistent, and confident in their studies so as to achieve their desired grade.
“You’re the hope of your family, and it’s only you who’s best placed to change the narrative of your background; don’t lose focus on achieving success in your life,” advised Charles.
Kongit High School managed to take 27 students direct to university after attaining a mean grade of C+ and above with the school registering a mean score of 4.08.