Mandera, Kenya – Defying challenges of terror threats and teacher shortages, Lafey sub-county in Mandera County has once again emerged as a top performer in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. The sub-county’s resilience was evident in its production of the county’s highest-scoring candidate, who achieved an impressive 408 marks.
According to Kenya News Agency, Lafey Primary School, with a mean score of 338, celebrated the achievement of Abdi Majid Mohamed, the top student in the entire county. Other high achievers from the school included Sharmake Adan with 405 marks and Farhan Gedi with 401 marks. However, the head teacher of Lafey Primary School, Khalif Ahmed, brought attention to the significant security challenges faced by the community. Teachers regularly change their sleeping locations to evade potential attacks by Al Shabaab militants, as the school is located only 5 kilometers from the Somalia border.
Ahmed remarked that the presence of all teachers would have potentially propelled the school to the top of national rankings. He also highlighted the urgent need for more classrooms and teachers at Lafey Primary, which currently operates with only 10 teachers for a student body of 1500. The school recently lost five educators, further exacerbating the staffing challenge.
Parents in the area expressed that students could have attained even higher scores if the government addressed the security situation and increased the number of teachers. In response, the Member of Parliament for Lafey Constituency, Mohamed Abdiker, committed to sponsoring the education of students in their chosen schools.
The achievements of Lafey Sub-County, amidst adversity, underscore the community’s resilience and the need for focused efforts to enhance security and educational facilities in the region.