A mother from Manyatta Slums in Kisumu is appealing to the government to help her Join high school. Josephine Atieno a mother of six is yet to receive her secondary admission letter despite scoring 366 marks in her (KCPE) exams.
Josephine who went back to school after 20 years says that she wants to finish her high school studies and join a teacher’s college. Despite her efforts she says that most school principals refuse to give her an admission letter, directing her to visit the County director of Education offices.
She says that it is unfair how she is being discriminated against because of her age. “My husband had initially refused to take me back to school but after some convincing he agreed to take to school with some conditions on how the children will be taken care of”. Atieno says that her friend then helped her enroll in class seven and she mostly studied from home due to the covid pandemic.
She says her troubles began when (KCPE) results were announced and all her classmates got their admission letters but she got none. She says that she was told by the sub-county education office that by law she is not allowed to sit in class with young ones. She has since then been forced to look for a school and start private studies to avoid missing out on her education.
Despite being told by education officials that she can only join adult schools she says that its not flexible for her since she has children and the private ones are too expensive for her.
Atieno’s former school Director Evans Ongulu says he is not aware of a law that exists that prevents Josephine from joining high school. He further added that that she was a bright student and she deserves a chance to continue with her studies.
“Atieno has a chance to continue her education in an adult school”, says Nyanza Regional Director of Education, Nelson Sifuna.
Mr. Sifuna further states that the ministry has come up with guidelines that don’t allow adults to share the same learning environment with adults.
By Vivian Moraa
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