Matungulu Girls School in Machakos County is on the spot for asking a parent to purchase 200 mangoes after the child reportedly ate some of the fruits in school.
According to the letter seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the school administration accused the Form 2 student of stealing mangoes at the institution and ordered the parent to foot the bill.
However, the guardian was not asked to buy the number of mangoes the learner had taken from the school. Instead, he was directed to purchase 200 mangoes as punishment.
Further, the school asked the parent to clear all outstanding arrears before bringing the student back to school.
However, the orders caused an uproar on social media with Kenyans terming them as punitive and outrageous, in consideration of the harsh economic times in the country.
A debate ensued over whether parents should be made to pay for the mistakes of their children.
Kenyans expressed disappointment in the punishment with some noting that the student was not going to learn a lesson if the parents catered for the expenses.
Those who agreed that the student had erred also noted that the school administration was at fault for passing the burden of the mistake to the parent and wondered why the school principal did not offer an alternative solution.
'In addition, the student won't attend classes plus fare to and fro for both the student and the parent. Some petty issues should be addressed in school," one Phyliss Stanley stated.
"Apart from advising the girl from the vice, I think the rest of the punishment is for the parent. It's as if the parent is the one who ate the fruits," Daniel Miano wrote.
"This is literally enterprising on indiscipline. I think a one-week punishment would suffice. Some of these traits were dealt with internally. The parent doesn't need to suffer for teenage mischief that is bound to happen now and then. But this is not as bad as the Mugoiri case," Edwin Jumba added.
Efforts to get a comment from the school were futile as our numerous calls and texts went unanswered.
