Public outcry as KCSE student suspended over chewing gum
Public outcry as KCSE student suspended over chewing gum
A 15-year-old student from St. Albertina-Kiongwani Girls High School in Makueni County now risks missing her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams after her suspension over possession of a chewing gum.
The form four student, who had been out of school since the suspension, was reportedly found with chewing gum in her bag during a routine search as she was returning from the midterm break of the second term.
Her mother, Virginia Mawewu, said the gum was accidentally left in the bag and that her daughter admitted to the oversight immediately.
According to Mawewu, administrators at St. Albertina-Kiongwani are demanding restitution in the form of chewing gum, enough for all 580 students, for the girl to be allowed back to school.
The cost of the gums for the school’s total population would be an estimated Ksh16,800.
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“She has already missed two major exam sessions, including the end-of-term two and third-term opener exams,” Mawewu told NTV. “They are insisting we bring the gum before she can be allowed back.”
The school’s principal, Jacqueline Kealo, declined to comment on the matter when approached.
Makueni County Education Director Rashid Ali, on his part, confirmed that his office had received a formal complaint and was investigating the matter.
With the national exams just weeks away, time is running out for the student to catch up and revise.
The incident has drawn public outrage, with critics calling the school’s punishment excessive and potentially damaging to the student’s academic future.
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