Xaverian primary school with 3,800 pupils appeals for support amid overcrowding

The head of one of Kisumu’s largest primary schools has appealed for urgent support to address severe overcrowding, saying classrooms designed for far fewer learners are struggling to accommodate more than 3,800 pupils.

Speaking during the school’s annual general meeting, Xaverian Comprehensive Primary School principal Barnabas Odeny said the institution currently has 3,812 learners taught by about 56 teachers but only 33 physical classrooms.

The school, located in Kisumu and serving many children from low-income settlements around the city, faces mounting pressure as enrolment continues to rise under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

Odeny said Grade 7 alone has 370 learners spread across three streams, leaving each class with more than 100 pupils.

“With the building of the additional classrooms, we hope we are going to decongest that particular grade so that we can have at least an average of 80 learners,” he said.

He acknowledged previous support from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which financed four classrooms that helped reduce congestion in Grades 8 and 9.

“Currently we are talking about an average of 75 learners in Grade 8 and 9,” Odeny said, adding that the facilities remain inadequate given that enrolment in Grades 1 to 6 exceeds 400 learners per grade.

The principal said the school has approached several institutions and development partners for assistance, including Kisumu Central MP Dr. Joshua Oron, the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP), the KCB Foundation and the M-Pesa Foundation.

“We have reached out to support us, but I want to report that we have not yet succeeded. These are just requests we have thrown. We are moving up and down trying to find a way on how we can help,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Odeny welcomed a series of pledges announced by Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron during the AGM attended by more than 2,000 parents and thousands of learners.

Among the commitments was the provision of a school bus, which Odeny said would help pupils participate in educational tours without relying on hired transport.

“With this population, considered one of the biggest in the region, a bus will help this school a great deal,” he said.The MP also pledged to construct 10 additional toilet units at the school.

According to Odeny, the institution currently has 16 toilet doors for boys and 20 for girls, facilities he said are insufficient for the large student population.

“We hope many sponsors can come in to also help our school,” he said.

The principal said expanding infrastructure remains critical if the school is to improve learning conditions and move closer to the government’s recommended classroom ratios.

“Currently we are still at a crisis which need a concerted effort to address effectively to ensure our children continue to learn in a very conducive environment, ” he said.