SCHOOL FACILITIES KEY IN PUPILS PERFORMANCE

By Nicholas Muhesi- KALI

As we strive to improve the quality of education and performance in primary schools, we should also consider the learning-teaching environment in which our children study in. It is hard for a pupil to perform better when the learning-teaching environment he/she is in is harsh in terms of lacking furniture to sit on in class, studying under trees, scorch temperature and also spending long hours without lunch. Kitsutsu Primary school has enrollment of 1012 pupils with 477 males and 535 females according to second term school compiled list. The school has few desks for the pupils to sit on especially in lower classes.

During the monitoring done in August 2013, we established that, in Kitsutsu primary school-Munkunyu sub county, P1 and P2 pupils with a total of 373 still sit on the floor for their lessons and exams and even then, they are too congested to write what is required of them by the teachers. (in set picture). This means that pupils end up copying each other and even not writing at all due to congestion. 

These pupils are expected to compete with a pupil sited comfortably on a chair with a table which is not possible. Who is responsible then? Some even sit outside the class room to do exams just because of the limited space in their class rooms (pic 2). They end up spending much time looking at passer bys than writing what is required of them. It is very natural that a person can only concentrate when the conditions are favorable and so it is no wonder that performance in schools is deteriorating.

Parents, let us work together with government and other stakeholders to make life in schools better. It is always a parent’s pride when a child succeeds but if we do not invest in these children, and then we shall not yield much from them.