Principal Urges Kakamega Parents to Utilize Local Resources to Ensure Girls' Education

By Strilus Bellbut

Education is a crucial aspect of the modern world, and parents in Kakamega County have been urged to ensure that their daughters attend school.

During an academic meeting with the parents of the first-year students, Cassius Khatachi, the principal of Lwanda Secondary School in Kakamega East, emphasized that parents don't necessarily need to be employed to educate their daughters. 

He shared his experience teaching in Shinyalu Sub County, where agriculture thrives due to the favorable rainfall. He suggested that parents take advantage of this by growing various crops on their farms, which they can then sell to the school as a means of fee payment, particularly for those facing financial difficulties.

"I will support your children's learning if you're ready," says the principal.

Furthermore, Principal Khatachi mentioned that the current number of first-year students is 331 and highlighted the need for chairs and lockers for them. He encouraged parents who have carpentry skills to make the furniture and sell them to the school. His ultimate goal is to ensure that the students can remain in school without being sent home frequently due to unpaid fees.

The principal also stressed the importance of developing a strong working relationship between parents and teachers, as it greatly benefits the students' learning. 

He expressed his disappointment in a situation where a parent reported one of the teachers to the Sub County director of education because the teacher was closely monitoring their child. 

Principal Khatachi emphasized the need for a proper approach to resolving issues and emphasized that good school performance is closely tied to discipline.

Additionally, he urged parents who have applied for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) money at the office of the local Member of Parliament to seek alternative means to pay school fees, rather than solely relying on the CDF funds. 

He suggested that the Shinyalu Sub County has numerous schools, and the area MP, Fred Ikana, has to disburse bursaries to many of them. Depending solely on the CDF funds often results in a lack of success for our children.