President William Ruto’s recent declaration that no eligible Grade 10 learner should be barred from school due to unpaid fees faces harsh reality in Rongo, Migori County, just days after making the statement.
The promise of accessible education for all secondary school entrants has collided with financial constraints in this western Kenyan region.
Sebastian Onyango, who emerged as last year’s top Grade 9 student at Nyakwere Primary School, faced the difficult choice to retake Grade 9 as he couldn’t afford the fees necessary to advance to senior secondary education.
Last Monday, Sebastian entered the school grounds unnoticed among other students and proceeded to his old Grade 9 classroom. His peers and instructors remained unaware of his true purpose, assuming he had already enrolled in a senior secondary institution.
The reality only became apparent when teachers questioned his presence. In a request that astonished the school staff, Sebastian formally requested readmission to Grade 9 and permission to retake the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
The student aims to elevate his examination results beyond 70 points, which he hopes will secure him financial sponsorship and preserve his aspiration to attend Kanga High School in Migori County.
Although school staff had collected modest contributions to cover his senior secondary basic expenses, Sebastian declined to advance to the next level. With evident emotion, he revealed that his parents lacked the financial means to pay the necessary charges.
I was accepted at Oriwo Boys High School for Grade 10, but my family cannot manage the required payment, he shared with his instructors.
I request to repeat Grade 9 in hopes of achieving higher scores that might convince a benefactor to fund my schooling.
The student acknowledged that observing classmates proceed to their preferred educational institutions while he stayed behind caused significant emotional distress. He expressed feelings of depression and hopelessness, noting that his academic progress had been impeded by financial limitations rather than intellectual capability.
In his perspective, retaking Grade 9 represents not merely another opportunity for academic improvement but also a mechanism to handle the psychological burden of lagging behind his peers.
A somber atmosphere permeated the classroom as both students and educators grappled with the realization that their most accomplished pupil could not advance because of economic constraints.
I experienced profound sadness and seeing one of our brightest students required to repeat a grade due to financial barriers, one teacher expressed.
The narrative of Sebastian exposes the disconnect between official educational policies and the actual circumstances of students whose ambitions remain vulnerable amidst economic deprivation.