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IT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THIKA'S PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Private schools in Thika Town have defied the Ministry of Education's directive to close their institutions as a result of the teachers' strike. It was business as usual in virtually all the academies we visited in the last couple of days. 

The teachers and management teams we spoke to expressed their objection saying that whatever transpired in the public institutions should never be enjoined with them. They said theirs was a private entity that had nothing to do with the public service.

“The fight is between TSC teachers and the government. Why involve us in their fights? Private schools should be left alone to conclude their schedules since parents had paid fees. The closure will financially affect us since some parents may refuse to pay for the third term,” said one director of a Thika based academy who spoke to us in camera in fear of victimization.

They said that their schools would remain open pending tomorrow's court determination concerning their case. 

Meanwhile, all public schools in the area closed their doors and sent their students home awaiting the government's recall. On Monday, Thika streets were jammed in secondary school students who were heading home after their schools' Board of Governors released them following the government's move to close schools. Primary schools remained ghost institutions since kids remained at home. Only a handful of STD 8 pupils and the nursery school children could be seen in the schools. 

The parents we spoke to expressed their disappointment in the whole issue and called upon both the government and the teachers to find a permanent solution to the teachers' salary saga. Their opinion was divided with some expressing their support for teachers. 

Otherwise, most of those we spoke to were against the teachers' demands saying that the teachers had been too much and very inconsiderate. They claimed that the children of these tutors were in school in the academies while the poor people's children stayed at home.

"Watoto wa hawa walimu bado wanasoma kwa sababu wako academy. Sisi maskini hatuna wa kitutetea," said Mary Wangeci, a food vendor in Thika Main Bus Station.

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