A past fire incident at St Georges Nairobi. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
There was confusion at Nairobi's St Georges Secondary School after the school called parents to pick up their children only to turn them away when they arrived.
According to the parents who went to the school at the weekend, the administration called them to pick their children urgently but did not offer any explanation.
"I was called by my daughter's class teacher, who asked me to pick up my child. The teacher did not tell me why but with cases of fire outbreaks in our schools, I rushed to the institution. I did not want to take any chances," said a parent as quoted by the Standard.
The parents were however refrained from leaving with their children unless they wanted the girls to be suspended.
According to the Standard, Nairobi Director of Education Maina Nguru refused to explain to parents what was happening at the school.
"Take your children with you and deal with the consequences or leave them in school compound now," he is recorded as saying.
"You only have two options: register with the management and take your child away and wait until the school calls you back or leave the child in school. I will not listen to any reactions," he added.
But according to the school principal Lucy Rukunga, the students have been sending her threatening and abusive text messages, saying they will burn down that dormitories if the school does not allow them to go home.
"It is sad we have got to that level. While some students were really traumatised by the fire that destroyed our kitchen recently, some took the opportunity to disrupt studies, demanding to go home," she said.
Parents however termed it unfair for the management to call them to take their children only to resort to victimising the students.
"I travelled all the way from Eldoret after being asked to pick up my child. There was no explanation why I should pick her up. Now they are telling me to take away my child at my own risk. This is very wrong," said Joe Karani, a parent.