Minutes:
Minutes of Asako Primary School Trust
Trustees meeting held on 13 January 2014
A.F. Gross’ Offices, Nairobi
In attendance:
Juma Ali Dido, Chairman of Asako PST
(Parent and School Management Committee)
Kulisa
Shora Dirkicha, Asako Trustee (Parent)
Ismail
Solola, Asako Trustee (Parent)
Tony
Fitzjohn, TAS Trustee
Stephen
Kameti, TAS/KWS
Gill
Marshall-Andrews, TAS Head Secretary
Sarah
Wright, TAS Asako Secretary
Komora
Dhadho Garise, Education Officer, Madogo/ Bangali Division
Cpt.
Kenneth Ochieng, Senior Warden - KWS Meru National Park
Apologies:
Mike Harries
JAD
convened the meeting with a prayer
Attendees
introduced themselves
JMA:
Summarized the purpose of TAS and the Asako Trust. TAS has no management role
in the school but sees the relationship as a partnership which won’t work
unless both parties pull their weight. Everyone must be working to the same
goal. We do our part, and the school does its part. If there is not that
cooperation it won’t work. And TAS will go somewhere else.
No
one is paid for anything. We all work for free. I work for free. Sarah works
for free. Stephen’s salary is paid by a trust in the UK. No one receives a
financial benefit for their work with TAS.
If
there are any allegations of corruption or financial benefit from TAS, we will
pull out immediately. As the name implies this is a “trust.”
There
is one other policy that has fallen away from this trust, and that is the
policy of chairmanship, which should rotate every two years. This has not
happened at Asako, but it must now happen.
So
we need to change the chairmanship of this trust, either by election or mutual
agreement of us here today. It has nothing to do with the performance of the
Chairman. It just happens, but it hasn’t happened here. It’s an oversight.
TF:
I would like to propose Ismael Solola as the Chairman of Asako/ Mbalabala
KD:
I second it.
TF:
We need agreement from Juma and Stephen.
JAD:
I agree.
SK
concurs.
IS:
Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity for being the Chairman of
the Trust. I hope and think very much we will have success. I work closely with
Juma, so I trust that we will continue our good relationship.
SW
summarized the discussion from the last Trustees Meeting, held January 12,
2012, at which TAS funding for the school was suspended indefinitely based on
poor KCPE results, poor stewardship of TAS funded facilities and a failure to
make good on school promises to collect funds regularly for teacher housing
upkeep.
2013
KCPE results were discussed. There was a correction made to the 2012 results,
which were thought to be a mean score of 247. In actuality the 2012 mean score
was 195, which means the 2013 mean score of 214 represents an 18 point increase
over 2012 and a steady improvement over three years.
|
|
Year
|
Entry
|
Boys
|
Girls
|
Mean
Score (max 500)
|
Boys
Mean Score
|
Girls
Mean Score
|
Mark
250+ Entry to Secondary School
|
|
School
|
Boys
|
Girls
|
|
Asako
|
2013
|
14
|
11
|
3
|
214
|
|
|
3
|
1
|
|
|
2012
|
25
|
22
|
3
|
195
|
|
|
4
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013 Mean
Score 213.79 (14)
2012 Mean
Score 194.78 (25)
2011 Mean
Score 168 (Kiswahili score had been cancelled)
In 2013,
Asako scored the highest in the district in Kiswahili.
In 2013
Asako scored 5 out of 15 in the District (#1-3 are private schools) Bangali was
#4, so out of non-private schools, Asako was the second highest scoring school.
JAD: We want to thank TAS because when
they started at Asako, the foundation was very poor, but you see these results
coming up. It is because of TAS.
TF: So you’ve seen slow but steady
improvement. Lots of input, not least of which is the teacher housing, thanks
to Gill. But it’s still slow and steady improvement.
GMA: How many in Standard 8 for next
year?
JAD: We have to choose how many will
take the exam.
GMA: What is the educational agency’s
policy on repeating?
KDG: No repeats allowed. But if his or
her performance is not all that good, then the parent is advised the student
can re-take the exam.
IS: Let me explain, it is very difficult
to push these students to take the KCPE. It is better they repeat the class
rather than fail the class.
SK: The policy of the government is to
let them go forward. We are not just looking at results but also the issue of
retention. Marking is not just academic. We want to see the kids stay in
school, not dropping out and getting married.
Not all of them will pass.
SW: Any case where you’ve held a child
back and they have not ended up taking the exam?
JAD: They get the chance to take the
exam again.
GMA: We would expect however many were
in Standard 7 (22) would take the exam in Standard 8 in 2014, plus any more who
want to take the exam again. Is this the case?
All agree.
GMA: I am concerned that the school
should have a policy that sees all the students all the way through and doesn’t
hold any back just to up the scores.
TF: From our perspective, 4 extra girls
in Standard 8 with a lower score is fine.
Ismail: We will go back to the school to
get the correct numbers of students taking the exam next year.
GMA: Who is in charge of the school in
the absence of the HT (Henry Owgaka)?
KDG: the education officer will let us
know tonight.
GMA: How do you appoint the HT?
KDG: Strictly based on their
performance. We have a bank of candidates, and where there is a gap, we fill
it. He should be a Deputy and someone with a high level of performance. We
sometimes give him a test to see what his strategy would be to help this school
be a high performer.
GMA: Can he turn down the post?
KDG: No, it is an appointment.
TF: What about Asako being off the
beaten path, the fact they might go mad.
KDG: We know who will work at the
school, who will be a high performer.
GMA: Would you consider appointing
someone from a completely different area?
KDG: First we consider someone from
within the area because they understand the climate.
SW: How do we access the school results?
KDG: Through our office. Comes out in
the press first.
GMA: We hear a lot about the Standard 1
Computer Initiative. What is happening with that?
KDG: The Government says they will train
three teachers in each school. The HT and two others.
GMA: How does the school select which
teachers will be trained?
KDG: Preference for whoever has ICT
experience.
GMA: We would like to help Asako be in
the first tranche of schools that receive computers. We might fund the
infrastructure required in order for that to happen at Asako.
TF: Are you just waiting for the
Government or do you feel Tana will be at the bottom of the pile and it’s not
worth fighting?
KDG: Some schools have started on their
own. If TAS could provide a conducive environment for the computers, that would
be a good thing.
GMA: But you do think it is going to
happen?
TF: You have to deal with the power
first. And in a place like Asako you have to make sure you can keep the
computers cold enough. Keep the dust out.
GMA: I think you have the facilities you
just have to adapt them. What is the power situation in Asako?
_____________________________________________________________________________
GMA: There’s a wonderful project in
India where they cemented a computer and keyboard into a wall. All that was
exposed was the screen and the keypad. The children taught themselves. No
English. No experience. And within a week the whole community had learned how
to use the computer.
SW: What are the needs of the school?
GMA: Of the existing investments what
are the conditions? Is the fence done? Water?
JAD: The fence is finished. The solar
panel was stolen.
TF: We moved the windmill but no one
locally dug up to move the pipeline. KWS said they would, but no one locally
fixed it. That’s a good source of power.
JAD: I tried to find a fan from the CDF.
KWS has not moved the pipeline. We need a report from Ochieng.
TF: Water at Asako. There is a solar
power system put in by Cadflex, but the
Windmill for water. We sunk it in the
wrong place. But the community needed to redig the pipeline. They never did.
They said KWS would but hasn’t. I’ve spent a lot of money but have had it. We
need to re-align the pipeline. Could we get KWS to either put a new pipeline in
see if it powers the windmill for water? If it doesn’t, I can bring Mike H. in
to see if we can put a pump in.
KO: We didn’t have the funds, but we
have authorised the funds (water) because it will also supply our KWS camp
there. So that is quite ok. I will try to pick it up with him.
TF: Let’s us talk about it between
ourselves to make it happen.
GMA: If you could tell us about the
other TAS investments. Let’s start with the teacher housing quarters.
JAD: This year is the first time we’ve
had a female score 260.
GMA: What about infrastructure? Teacher
housing, Jiko, Fence, Satphone
JAD: Sat phone is in my hands.
GMA: Needs to be returned.
JAD: Kitchen, there is an issue with the
chimney. Staff Quarters we need to renovate.
TF: If the teachers aren’t prepared to
pay, kick the teachers out of the housing and put them in the old structures.
IS: This issue of the housing has given
us a real headache. We made a conclusion the other day that the school management
will take care of the housing, not the teachers. Last time I was with them...
GMA: I think that is right that the
community should take charge.
SW: That was the condition in the
agreement with TAS.
GMA: Will you charge the teachers to
help pay, out of their housing allowance?
KDG Confirmed housing allowance paid to
teachers.
GMA: Look at the houses, which are very
good, and assess what the value is.
KDG: If power, cemented, painted wall.
One room would be 2,000-2,500.
GMA: So that is a duty of the community
to keep this teacher housing. Would some of them choose to rent a mud hut
(500/month) in order to pocket the rest of the housing allowance?
KDG: SMC should control the housing.
GMA: So they open a bank account and
decide on the cost and the money goes directly to an account.
TF: Make it cost just a bit more than a
mud hut.
SK: The housing is an incentive to
attract teachers to the school. We should trust the SMC to handle this. There
is suspicion on the part of the teachers as to where the money goes.
IS: Steve told the teachers to do it on
their own with out the SMC. I think the teachers have done that. They pay 500
per month. Me I am for two options: leave it to the school community - the SMC.
Or let’s go back to the teachers and let them handle it. The school is there
for them.
TF: Who will hire the fundi?
JAD: We as the community did the repairs
last time.
TF: They were pretty good but needs
tweaking.
KDG: According to the Education Act, the
HT is the accountant. He is supposed to keep the money and record it into the
accounts book. At the end of it, we the education officer audits the account.
The HT is held responsible. So let the HT open the account and keep a full
record of it.
GMA: Is everyone agreed it’s the best
system we have? Our problem is we don’t have a representative here from the
teaching staff.
TF: We have a teacher problem. Some have
been transferred and not been replaced.
GMA: (speaking to KDG) can we make this
your problem?
KDG Agreed. When it comes time for HT
handover, he will have to make a report for the District to account for the
existing money. And then after that, if we discover there has been
mismanagement, we will pin down that HT. We send the info to TSE.
Once the collection is done, the HT informs
the SMC Chairman of the collection. We will have representatives from the
teachers and the SMC. Then we lay out the process for accountability.
GMA: Who owns the teacher houses?
ALL: The School Community
Committee comprised of three teachers and
two representatives from the SMC. HT will be signatory. KDG will set up this
committee this week when he is in Asako. By end of the month.
KDG/JAD: Before we had 6 TSE teachers
including the HT. Now we only have 4 TSE teachers.
GMA: You will have new teachers when? Is
the Government paying for Nursery teachers now?
KDG: Government only playing a top-up to
only a few nurseries. 10,000 a month to nursery teachers based on location,
experience, etc.
GMA: What proportion of Nursery teachers
are being paid by the Government?
SK: Layers of government control are the
problem. School is District controlled. Nursery is County Government
controlled.
KDG: Government will provide a total of
6 TSE teachers.
SW: We need to outline what a continuing
relationship with TAS would look like.
GMA: That’s for the Chairman to say.
IS: The community had paid for two
teachers last year and the two caretakers and watchman. Buying exam papers for
the school. (They paid for housing repairs last year). In your absence we
managed to finish dining hall (CDF), the dorm (County Council/ Latif). Dorm is
boys only. We managed to get donor money for water tanks and toilets (CRS).
Pamba nursery paid for.
JAD: There is a permanent building in
Pamba (CDF).In Pamba there are 150 students and only one teacher. We want a
class 1 there now.
GMA: That is something the County should
be taking care of.
KDG: Pamba needs to be registered to get
TSE teachers.
GMA: Let me be clear that you are
proposing TAS to pay for a Class 1 teacher at Pamba. Who is paying for the
girls dorm? Can we go halves with CDF? They don’t like doing that, do they?
We would be prepared to help share a
cost for a girls dormitory and possibly a Pamba nursery teacher.
JAD raised the issue of Amina, female
student who scored 260. Needs bursary.
GMA: No bursaries any more. Too
complicated. She should get a bursary from CDF.
ACTION:
Rotate
Chairmanship: Ismail appointment new TAS Asako Chairman for two years.
Assurance
Money has been collected for teacher housing: KDG to settle new committee by
end of January.
Funding
Proposal:
Pamba
Class 1 Teacher for one year (conditional on Pamba being registered as a
school).
Girls
Dorm? What does the school need for the laptop initiative?
TF and KO
to sort the water situation
Next
Meeting to be Scheduled:
NB: Thanks to Juma Ali Dido, outgoing
TAS APT Chairman, for his many years of service.
