Minutes from Trustees Meeting
15/09/2009
Present:
Mr. James M. Maluki - Chairman
Mr. Titus K. Mughi.
Ms. Stella M. Munyoki
Ms. Njoki Kimotho – Secretary
Minutes:
IKATHIMA PRIMARY SCHOOL TRUST MEETING
DATE : 15TH SEPTEMBER 2009
VENUE : MIVUKONI SECONDARY SCHOOL
AGENDA :
1. Welcome remarks – Gill / S. Kameti
2. Reading of the previous minutes – Secretary
3. Matters arising from the minutes – plenary
4. Project implementation report – Secretary/Head teacher
5. Funding proposal – Chairperson
6. Visioning/strategic exercise – S. Kameti
7. Leaflet discussion/input/feedback
8. Process – The trust work – Gill
9. Health/ringworm – Njoki
10. Action-way forward
11. AOB
12. Date of next meeting
Trustees Present :
Mr. James M. Maluki - Chairman
Mr. Titus K. Mughi.
Ms. Stella M. Munyoki
Ms. Njoki Kimotho – Secretary
In attendance:
Mrs. Gill Marshall-Andrews
Mrs. Harriet Matsaert
Mr. Stephen Kameti
Absent with apology – Mr. Mulaki Kioko
Absent without apology – Mrs. Nguli
The meeting was called to order at 15.30 pm.
Min 1 Welcome remarks
Mrs. Marshall-Andrews welcomed those present. Members were called upon to introduce themselves and their designations.
After introducing herself, Mrs. Marshall-Andrews revisted the procedure in which this trust is expected to be managed. The school management will decide what they need. These decisions will be brought to a trust meeting for further discussion. The local trust will decide which proposals to forward to the UK trust for possible funding. The external trustee, who is also the secretary, will be present in this meeting. The proposal must be signed by the chairperson and the secretary.
Min 2 – Reading of last minutes.
The secretary apologized for not having copies of the last meeting. She said the meeting had been to inaugurate the trust, discuss opening of a bank account and decide on signatories all of which had been done.
Min 3 – Matters arising
Not applicable due to Min no 2.
Min no 4 – Project implementations progress report
Funds to help with the feeding program for the third school term had been received. However, the Mr. Mughi explained the project had not started. This was because Home Grown had identified schools in this area to benefit from a feeding program and Ikathima had thought they would be one of them. However this was not the case, because home grown knew TAS had funded feeding for Ikathima. The meeting resolved to start the feeding program as soon as possible, but the school management ought to inform Home grown or any other feeding agencies in the area that TAS feeding was only for third term and would not continue in January.
The fact that a couple of weeks had elapsed since school opened and it might be yet another week before feeding started was raised, with a view of buying less food and saving any extra money for another project. The meeting resolved to buy food as previously budgeted. Mr. Kameti pointed out that parents working on projects at the school could be fed on the days they worked. Even so, if there was any food remaining at the end of the term, it could be used-up next term. Mrs. Marshall-Andrews reminded the meeting that TAS was not a food aid program, and that the funds donated for feeding are the only ones Ikathima would get.
Also discussed was an error that had been pointed out on the feeding proposal, where the itemized cost of material required for the feeding did not add up to what was stated on the Grand total column. It was noted that the error was due to item number one, maize. 33 bags at Ksh. 3,500/- add up to Ksh. 115,500 and not 11,500. The grand total is therefore correct.
Min no 5 - Funding proposals
Ikathima has nine classes Std 1-8, plus a nursery class. They have 6 Teachers service commission teachers (TSC). This would mean at any one time, there are four classes who do not have a teacher. The head teacher explained that TSC was not recruiting other teachers, except to replace those who have retired or left due to any other reason. Due to the current draught, the parents are unable to hire any teachers, leading to acute understaffing. They requested for four teachers to be hired at 5000/- per month for 12 months = 240,000/-.
Please refer to the proposal (attached) for details.
It was noted that the secretary did not attend the local trust meeting that made this proposal, and recommended that in future she attends all such meetings.
Mrs. Marshall Andrews advised the trust members to invite the Area Education Officer to their next meeting, as this can be beneficial to finding solutions for some of the problems affecting us.
Min 6 – Mission/strategic planning exercise
Vision/strategy
Mr. Kameti requested Mrs. Matsaert to lead us on this, and Mrs. Matsaert kindly obliged;
The management would like to have boarding facilities. Many students walk long distances to get to school and many others do not come to school due to living too far away. This would also take care of students who drop out of school to go in search of food during the dry season.
The management would also like to see school enrolment increase from the current 278 students. Although there has been a gradual increase from 2003 when enrolment was 93 students to the current number, there is room for growth in numbers.
All school-going children should be doing so. Many do not, due to the problems mentioned above, and in addition ignorance, early marriages etc. The management would like to dialogue and come up with solutions for these problems.
Primary strengths
-There has been an increase in enrollment numbers from 93 in 2003 to 278 currently.
-Performance has been improving. Of the 12 students who sat KCPE last year, 4 were admitted to Provincial school, and 6 to District schools.
Constraints/challenges
-Shiftas coming mostly from Tana River district raid homesteads stealing cattle, damaging property and even killing.
-Girls drop out before sitting their KCPE exams due to pregnancies and/or to get married. Only last year did we have the first two girls to complete primary school.
-Distance that students have to walk to get to school and back home.
-Water. This is a very scarce commodity and when they get it, it is dirty. The water is usually collected in wells dug on dried stream/water beds.
-Understaffing.
-Famine.
-Inadequate pit latrines. Currently only two. (German Aglo Action is funding construction of more latrines).
-Classrooms. There are 10 classrooms, but they are incomplete with unplastered walls and dirt floors among other things.
Min 7 – Leaflets discussion/input/feedback
Leaflets circulated by Mrs. Marshall Andrew were discussed and approved without any alterations.
Min no 8 - Process of the Trust work.
It was noted that Mrs. Marshall Andrews had covered this during her self introduction. Mrs. Lissa Cambell had also covered this very well during the inauguration. Although there had been a few errors, the members felt they would be overcome.
Min no 9 – Health: ring worm
Njoki said that during a visit to Kalumu primary school in May, a number of children were seen to have ringworm, some of them pretty bad, and wondered if this was a problem in Ikathima too. Although TAS is not in health, if it was a problem the member might be able to help with finding a solution.
The meeting was informed that this is a problem in Ikathima. There had been a project providing treatment to ECD but it had stopped in 2007.
Njoki offered to check with Kalumu school trust if and how they had dealt with the problem and report back. Meanwhile, she advised the H/T to advise the students especially those who have ringworm to cut their hair, wash their heads with soap and water as often as possible, and try to avoid scratching.
Min no 10 - Action/way forward
Recruit teachers and ensure they have bank accounts so that their salary can be paid directly.
Min no 11 – Date of the next meeting.
Trust members agreed to meet once every term January, May and September. The next meeting will be in January. Date to be confirmed. |