With increasing claims of racial discrimination in international schools in Kenya, there have been concerns from members of the public over the government and particularly the ministry of education’s failure on its mandate of promoting equity in all learning institutions in the country.
Light Academy Nairobi is the latest school to face the allegations, in a growing list of International Schools accused of racial discrimination against Kenyans and Africans in general.
The School is accredited as a Cambridge University International Exam Centre for IGCSE and A-Level Diploma Programmes. Light Academy Group of schools also offer 8-4-4 curriculum.
A source intimated to Kahawa Tungu that all is not well in the school and apparently in all its Turkish run branches in Kenya.
Light Academy Nairobi, which is located in the serene Karen suburb of Nairobi off Lang’ata Road, has never had an African principal. In cases where an African is picked to serve as deputy principal, it’s just a title with zero powers.
“At Light Academy Karen, an African cannot and can never be a principal or a deputy. Sometimes they can prop an African as a deputy but with no powers,” said the source.
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“The seat of the principal belongs to Turkish who own the school. In this school, if you are an African however long you work in this school or however hardworking you may be with a special talent in leadership you can’t be a principal (sic).”
Apparently, the Turks cannot trust an African to run the institution. With the silence from the Ministry of Education, the vice has taken root in the Kenyan society.
In countries like Tanzania where there are strict government regulations on how international schools are run, the institutions including Light Academy, which has a branch in the East African nation, are required to recruit heads from local communities.
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In Kenya, foreign nationals have the liberty to do anything but even with such freedom, they fail to appreciate locals.
Shockingly, at Light Academy Karen, Africans are not allowed to be class teachers. Only Turks hold such positions.
“They say Africans are have limited knowledge of handling learners at a personal level. What an irony! Racism? Your guess is as good as mine,” the source claimed.
Complaints raised by parents and guardians on Turks who boast of being excellent Mathematics and Science teachers often fall on deaf ears.
According to the source, many learners in the school complain that the Turks don’t know how to teach but their complaints are often dismissed by the management to protect the tutors.
Even small jobs such as storekeeping are given to Turks. A clear indication of how the foreigners despise local communities.
Still in Tanzania, a foreigner cannot do a job that can be done by Tanzanians but in Kenya where many youths are jobless, the government continues to turn a blind eye on such important issues.
Despite there being strict rules on issuance of work permits to foreigners in Kenya, some of the regulations are not strictly enforced.
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