Expel arsonists to check school fires, say parents
Parents want students found to be behind arson attacks in schools expelled to protect other learners.
Speaking under the auspices of the National Parents Association, they further asked the Ministry of Education to investigate the return of school fires.
Mr Silas Obuhatsa, the chairperson of the parents' lobby, termed as worrying a recent outbreak of fires wrecking school facilities that seem planned.
On Monday, six students were arrested in connection with a Sunday night dormitory fire at Kivaywa Boys High School in Kakamega County.
Kakamega County Police Commander Joseph Kigen said the students are being questioned over the incident that damaged the 260-bed facility. Beds, mattresses and personal effects were among the items destroyed.
Also in Kakamega County, a fire destroyed a section of a dormitory accommodating 90 students at St Peters Boys High School in Mumias. The parents’ association urged the government through the Ministry of Education to form a task force to investigate the cause of the arson attacks.
“Anyone found guilty of the offence should be expelled from the school and be completely banned from attending any other school in the country while the court process should also be invited for their trial,” said Mr Obuhatsa, adding that the six students who were arrested might not be the only ones involved in the arson attack.
“There is more to what we are seeing and hearing happening in the schools. The task force should dig deeper and find out what help students, teachers, school managers and even boards of management need to curb school fires,” he added.
Maintenance funds
He urged teachers to stop charging parents for the damages caused by their children in the arson attacks and instead use maintenance funds to rebuild the damaged dormitories. Parents, he said, were not involved in the burning of school property and shouldn’t be victimised.
“They [parents] have been put in a difficult position. Schools should seek guidance from the Ministry of Education on rebuilding without straining innocent parents in these harsh economic times,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
He called for increased vigilance by both teachers and students to prevent arson attacks and enforce fire safety regulations.
“As an association, we are not going to accept the issue of parents suffering at the hands of students who have become hooligans. We are urging the ministry to put in place a policy on reasonable punishment for student arsonists,” he added. BY DAILY NATION
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