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The government is investigating reports that a leading school in Siaya county is denying students meals and forcing them to miss classes over fees arrears.

Siaya County Commissioner Jim Njoka (left) said his office had received reports that Ambira High School was only serving meals to students who had paid full fees for first and second terms.

The reports say those with arrears were also being locked out of classrooms and made to lie in the playing fields during learning hours. “The issue is being looked into. A meeting between the school authorities, education officials and parents will be held,” Njoka said.

The investigations follow complaints by parents that their sons were being denied meals and classes for failure to clear their school fees. The parents, led by Mary Auma, claimed that for more than a week, students with fees arrears were going without food as they lacked meal cards.

School principal Joseph Otieno downplayed the allegations, terming them “propaganda” peddled by parents who had refused to clear their fees.

Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof George Magoha directed principals not to send their children home over fee balance, noting that Sh16.9 billion capitation funds had been disbursed

County Director of Education Nicholas  Oyucho however declined to comment on the issue.

According to Auma, some students with fees arrears were also forced to lie on the school fields for the better part of Thursday and Friday as punishment.

She said that she responded to her son’s distress calls only to find several other students lying on the field with full school uniform for failing to clear their fee balances.

“Some Form One students were among those forced to lie down in the fields during learning hours, and were only ordered to go back to class for exams, which they did on empty stomach. Once they were done with their exams, they joined their colleagues on the field,” regretted Auma.

“It was so sad that my son had cleared the second term fees but suffered due to the bursar’s failure to update his books. The school had denied my son food and meal card yet we had cleared the fee but had they had not updated their records,” she protested.

But reached for comment, the school’s principal Joseph Otieno however downplayed the allegations terming them “propaganda” peddled by parents who had “refused” to clear their fees.

He added that the school had notified all parents to clear any fees arrears so that the school could run smoothly. He however denied reports that the school was denying meals to students with fees arrears.

He further noted that no student has been sent home to collect fees despite the parents owing the school Sh70 million in fees arrears.

“I am the principal of the school and all students are taking their meals. They took supper and breakfast on Thursday and Friday,” he maintained.

The school administrator blamed some parents who had offset their fees balances for failing to send their bank or Mpesa statements to the school for verification.

“Unless the parents send to us the statement from the till number and the student details, we cannot know whether the payment was done,” Otieno explained.

But the parents accused the school’s administration for punishing pupils with school fees balances as low as Sh500.

The County Director of Education Nicholas  Oyucho however declined to comment on the issue saying only the County Commissioner could speak to the press on the matter.

Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof George Magoha directed principals not to send their children home over fee balance, noting that Sh16.9 billion capitation funds had been disbursed to school accounts.

Of the total funds disbursed, the CS said that Sh14.2 billion went to high school and Sh2.7 billion to primary schools.

The CS directed principals to desist from sending children home for school fees, saying that they should work out a means to pay for the balances.

“We want to urge very strongly the principals and head teachers to stop sending children back home for money. They can at least give parents a few more days to sort themselves out where they feel they must engage the parents,” said the CS.

He urged the principals to be sensitive and patient with parents, whose children are in boarding schools since the first month of the term is still not over.

“I am aware that in Nyandarua, there has been a massive removal of children from schools and they must go back immediately because like I have told you, the money should have hit the accounts yesterday. So if they have started receiving, why are we starting to send children home?” Magoha said last week.