This archive report was first published on 8 January 2020.
On January 8, 2020, a 14-year-old girl from Mombasa tragically took her own life after being forced to repeat a class at Amani Primary School in Jomvu.
Rehema Kura, a Standard Six pupil, had been skipping classes since schools reopened early in the week. Her parents and siblings had been trying to convince her to return to school, but she was adamant that she did not want to repeat the year.
According to her mother, Sada Nganda, Rehema had informed her that she was not feeling well and had asked to stay at home and rest. However, Rehema's sister revealed that she had been complaining about her low end-of-year marks and had been promised a transfer to another school.
The school's headmaster, Ali Abdallah, declined to comment on the allegations, citing that he was busy at the time. However, Education CS George Magoha has repeatedly warned schools against forcing students to repeat classes.
Rehema's tragic death serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing the mental health and well-being of students, particularly in the face of academic pressure.
