Tambach Boys Secondary School in Keiyo North Sub-county, Elgeyo Marakwet, has been closed indefinitely after students staged a protest against ongoing end-of-term examinations. The students went on the rampage, damaging property including classroom and dormitory window panes before marching to the Iten county headquarters to air their grievances directly to Ministry of Education officials.
According to Sub-county Education Director Alice Sitienei, the students claimed they were not prepared for the exams and demanded to be sent home, citing that other schools had already closed for the term.
Efforts by education officials to convince the students to return to school were unsuccessful. “We fueled the school bus to transport them back, but they refused, insisting they wanted to go home,” Sitienei explained.
She expressed disappointment in the students’ actions, stating that the grievances raised could have been resolved internally without resorting to vandalism and disruption of learning. Sitienei added that the indefinite closure will remain in place pending consultations between the school administration and parents.
The Director appealed to parents to play a more active role in guiding their children, emphasizing that disruptions to the academic calendar are particularly detrimental to candidates preparing for national exams. “With corporal punishment banned, teachers can only offer guidance and counselling, and the role of parents is now more critical than ever,” she noted.
The Tambach incident comes barely a week after a similar protest at St. Patrick’s High School Iten, where students also went on strike claiming unpreparedness for exams. The back-to-back incidents have raised concerns among education stakeholders about student discipline and the psychological readiness of learners during exam periods.
Sitienei called for calm and dialogue, urging students to use appropriate channels to express concerns. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with schools and parents to ensure learning continues smoothly and that such disruptions are prevented in future.
The school’s reopening date will be communicated after the necessary consultations are completed.
