Student heading home. KNUT Garissa branch says schools in the county are sending students home over failure to pay money for lunch food. [Photo/Charles Ronald]
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Garissa branch has raised concern over the number of students in the county that are being sent home.
Area secretary general Abdirizak Ismail said school heads are sending students home for failing to pay money meant for food.
Mr. Ismail said the majority of the parents in the county are pastoralists and the current drought ravaging the region since last year has made it difficult for them to raise fees when schools re-opened early January.
Speaking on Monday in Garissa, Mr. Ismail said most of the families in the county especially in remote areas are suffering after losing a large number of their livestock due to drought.
The secretary-general further said that the prices of these animals have dropped drastically which has in turn directly impacted on their economic well-being.
“The current drought ravaging the region has made it difficult for parents to raise fees and other requirements for their children. Most parents can barely meet their basic necessities, leave alone paying school fees for their children. This is a double catastrophe for them,” he said.
Mr. Ismail appealed to education stakeholders, the county, and national government to provide food to worst affected schools in the region so that children will attend school.
“The government and education stakeholders should provide food to the affected schools. This will relieve the huge burden on parents struggling to sustain their families,” he added.
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