The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akello Misori has urged parents to take a more active role in their children’s academic progress, cautioning against protests and school lockouts in response to poor examination results.
Speaking during a morning show on Ramogi TV, Misori criticised what he described as a growing tendency by parents to direct blame solely at schools when performance falls short. He argued that education is a shared responsibility and that parents have a critical role to play alongside teachers and school administrators.
“I condemn the act of parents locking schools and demonstrating over poor results. There is a lot that can be done by parents as well,” Misori said, emphasising the need for accountability at both the household and institutional levels.
The union leader also weighed in on the ongoing transition of learners to Grade 10, faulting the government’s approach to categorising schools. He said the current emphasis on labels such as national or extra-county schools fails to address deeper structural issues and instead fuels inequality and unhealthy competition.
According to Misori, schools should be defined by their capacity, resources and the quality of education they deliver, rather than by status classifications. He warned that the existing system places undue pressure on a limited number of institutions while marginalising others.
Staffing shortages were also highlighted as a key challenge undermining education standards. Misori said the government must ensure schools are allocated adequate numbers of teachers in line with student enrolment to improve learning outcomes and ease the pressure on a few perceived top schools.
“The government needs to provide teachers who can manage schools with their number of students. If this is not resolved, we will still have issues with parents flocking to a few schools looking for slots,” he cautioned.
Misori further criticised the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), accusing it of poor planning in the deployment of teachers. He said uneven distribution of staff reinforces the perception that some schools are superior, intensifying competition for limited spaces.
He also expressed concern over what he termed persistent discrimination against day schools, questioning why such institutions and their teachers continue to be looked down upon despite undergoing the same professional training as their counterparts elsewhere.
“Why should this happen yet the teachers went through the same university?” Misori posed, calling for a shift in attitudes and policies to promote equity across the education system.
