More than 150 parents of Mweleni Secondary School Machakos County stormed the school compound on Monday, protesting over the transfer of the school principal.
Supported by several teachers and parents’ representatives, the parents paralyzed teaching and normal activities in the school, as they demanded to take away their children until Teachers Service Commission intervenes.
The parents’ representative Cosmus Mutisya said that the principal, Matthew Kioko, had been posted in the school less than two months ago as schools opened for the first term, and the institution was just resuming normal learning environment when the ‘uncalled’ for transfer had been issued.
The furious parents threatened to transfer their children following the incident, terming it as based on religious differences between the principal and the school management sponsors.
Speaking during the peaceful demonstration, Mutisya lamented that the school’s performance had been affected by the frequent transfer of teachers.
“We want the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to intervene in this situation as the head teacher had proved to be of great help in improving discipline in the past two months he has been serving here,” said Mutisya.
“There is no basis for his transfer and the school management has decided on that, on the allegations that he is not a catholic as expected by the school sponsors, this will slow the learning activities of our children before the new head is introduced and normal activities commence again,” added. Mutisya
Following the demonstration, the parents later took their children from the school premises stating that they would only resume school when the transfer is cancelled.