Growing frustration among parents at Parklands Baptist School has sparked calls for the separation of the school’s management from Parklands Baptist Church, citing governance failures, lack of transparency, and deteriorating learning conditions.
The demand was raised during a parents’ association meeting on Tuesday, where parents decried rising school fees, poor communication, and inadequate facilities that they say are compromising their children’s education.
According to the school Chairman, Mr.Mburu, parents have repeatedly sought dialogue with the school board to address these issues — particularly the proposed increase in school fees for 2026 — but their requests have been ignored. “We invited the board for a meeting to discuss the fee increment, which we believe is unjustified. They refused to attend or even send a representative,” said Mburu.
He noted that the grievances extend beyond financial matters, with parents lamenting the deteriorating quality of extracurricular activities, poor food standards, and lack of essential learning resources. “The junior secondary students eat while holding their food on their laps because there are no tables. The labs and computer rooms are not functioning, and yet we are paying for these facilities,” he added.
Parents also questioned the legitimacy and transparency of the board’s decisions, noting that none of the board members currently have children enrolled in the school. “Why are the board members’ children studying elsewhere if the school is good enough for ours?” Mburu posed.
Longtime parent Mrs. Christine who has had her child at the school for over seven years, echoed the frustrations, saying the financial management of the institution has become opaque. “There has been no financial disclosure to justify the 20 per cent increase in school fees. As a Christian institution, we expected accountability and dialogue, but we’ve received neither,” she said.
Christine added that parents only received notice of the fee increase on October 22, with no breakdown of how the additional funds would be used. “We are going through tough economic times. It’s unfair to impose new charges without consultation,” she said.
The parents have now urged Parklands Baptist Church to allow the school to operate independently, saying the current governance model has alienated key stakeholders. “We want dialogue, accountability, and a school board that listens,” said Mburu.
