Pupils sue Magoha for closing schools
By Monica Kagia
Pupils of three Mombasa schools shut down by the government because of sub-standard facilities have moved to court seeking to compel Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to re-open them.
The 315 learners have filed a petition under a certificate of urgency, arguing the closure was illegal.
Greenfield School, Sinband Academy and Shanzu Preparatory School learners say the government’s decision has affected their learning and threatened the future of 100 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam candidates.
Through lawyer Anthony Atancha, the pupils claim the schools are legally registered under the Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) category.
Right to education
They claim they are unable to access education due to unavailability of public schools and affordable private institutions near their homes.
In the petition, they want the court to declare that Magoha’s action of closing, or threatening to close down, the institutions under APBET is an infringement of the learner’s constitutional rights to acquire an education.
