Parents withdraw children from school to help them work in gardens

Authorities in Kwania District have resorted to arresting parents who are keeping children of school-going age at home.

Some parents are said to be keeping children at home to help them work in the farms, look after animals and babies.

The current enrolment at Goi Primary School, Atongtidi Sub-county, for instance, is less than 250. This particular school had over 600 pupils when schools started in February.

At Boda Primary School in Chawente Sub-county, there are less than 100 pupils at school out of the total enrolment of over 900 pupils.

As a result, authorities in Kwania have started arresting learners who are at home together with their parents. The operation started last week.

On Monday alone, five pupils who study at Amwanga Primary School, Atongtidi Sub-county, were arrested after they were allegedly found fishing in a river in Aduku Sub-county. Their parents, all residents of Apyelamot Village in Atongtidi Parish, were also apprehended and are currently being held at Te-ilwa Police Outpost.

Mr Allan Aboce, the senior assistant secretary of Atongtidi Sub-county, said the suspects will pay a fine of Shs50, 000 per child and caution or face prosecution.

“The arrest was in implementation of the council resolution passed two weeks ago. We had a meeting with parents of different schools to sensitise them to send their children to school regularly but some are still relaxed,” he told this publication on Wednesday.

Poor school attendance is also being registered in Chawente Sub-county. Over 900 pupils have enrolled at Alido Primary School, Chawente Sub-county, but the attendance is not always consistent, according to Mr Raymond Ongol, the school head teacher.

“On Mondays and Fridays, our enrollment drops to below 700. And it is worst on Wednesdays, a day for a monthly market in this area. Some parents don’t prepare their children for the opening of the week, and on Friday when the week is ending most children always escape from school and some don’t come,” he said.

Mr Tonny Opio, the chairman of Goi School management committee, said their school attendance by learners was not consistent, prompting them to hold a crisis meeting.

“Majority of the children were not coming to school regularly. When we sat with parents, we found out that some parents were keeping children at home to help them digging, looking after animals and babysitting but when we talk to them some complied and started sending children to school,” he said.

Mr Andrew Omunu, Kwania District education officer, said school attendance has been affected by the return of rain.

“The enrollment that we had two to three weeks ago has dropped because parents have withdrawn their children to help them in the gardens as a labour force. So, it has affected attendance across our schools,” he said.

He urged the Sub-county local leaders to take stern action against parents who are keeping their children at home.

“We have agreed and empowered the sub-counties leadership to enforce the school attendance. So we are urging them to come out and implement it so that we have children at school. The district political leadership is also traversing sub-counties to talk to parents to have their children at school,” the DEO said on Thursday.