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KENYA: Even with good performance, poor students find it hard to study in High School
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Submitted by IQ4News on Wed, 28/12/2011 - 1:36pm
By Joab Apollo
Joy and frustration fill many families of pupils who excelled and flunked in the just released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results.
For many like Festus Okatso, the frustration of three years since completing primary education is not because he performed below the standard set by the Ministry of Education, but because of poverty.
Okatso who had a sterling performance garnering 382 marks in primary examinations despite going through poorly-equipped Chebil primary schools in Nandi County could be locked out of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education scheduled for next year because his father, Mzee Avedi cannot raise the Ksh. 4000 registration fee.
Life in high school has not been smooth-sailing for the form three student at the Kapsabet Boys High School, who has a burning ambition to become an aviation engineer.
His father does manual work, ranging from weeding in peoples farms to selling roasted maize in Kapsisiywo, and he has found it daunting having his son in school.
“Life is unbearable for me. I have borrowed money from people until it is more than enough. Sometimes I thank God for the well-wishers who have come for help and managed to keep my son until now,” he says.
When Okatso joined form one, Mzee Avedi approached Equity Bank and Faulu Limited for loans in spite of peanuts he get from his casual jobs.
The two institutions loaned him Ksh. 30,000 and 20,000 respectively.
“Equity Bank and Faulu Kenya helped me a lot even though I have to take them some money every month. I managed to pay the Form one Fees and Okatso did well beating many students who beat him in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Examinations,” he said.
The Emgwen Constituency Development Fund kitty gave him a paltry Ksh. 1500, a far cry from the total school fees at Kapsabet Boys High School.
The students are required to pay Ksh. 72,000 annually.
“That is my greatest headache; raising that amount of money is something I cannot believe and it is a miracle that Okatso has reached this far,” he adds.
Okatso's father has eight children, one in secondary school like Okatso while four are in primary school.
His three elder children dropped out of school due to lack of fees. He said that the prospect of his son missing out in next year’s examination is causing him sleepless nights.
“He is hardworking and studies through unbelievable conditions. He has no textbooks and set books, but still manages to excel in examinations and goes to school without pocket money. Many a times he is sent home for schools fees but that has not watered down his dream,” he said.
In last term’s exams, he got a grade B becoming number 16 in a highly populated class of 280 students.
Most students in the school, Okatso says, are from rich background.
“They have everything and I believe if I can get the Ksh 72,000 fee and the Ksh 4000 for registration, my performance in the examination next year will be great. It will make me realize my dream of becoming an aviation engineer,” Okatso says.
He adds that while many were celebrating Christmas, his was a dull period, his mind fixated on how life would be if does not pay the KCPE registration fee by January as required at Kapsabet Boys High School.
“My only recourse at the moment is prayer. If I fail to raise that money by January, then I am doomed,” he laments.
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