Dear Sir,
I have read all that has been exposed about Light Academy schools and I concur with the revelation.
In the year 2000 the Turkish management landed in Mombasa to start the schools. They were on the verge of going back to Nairobi after being unable to get students when they were advised by some parents to get me, -a renowned educationist to help them establish the schools.
The school had only 7 students scatterered from kindergarten to form 2 with some classes without children. I struggled within one term to have 30 students and at the second term we had 100 students. I dare say had it not been for my efforts there would be no Light academy in Mombasa.
A director Mr. Said who spoke only Turkish flew in from Turkey to see me and sign a contract which was based on enrollment as the Deputy Principal. When I suppased the target the contract was discontinued and placed on a meagre monthly salary.
The enrollment both for the international and local curriculum soured that necessited the separation of the two schools 844 and Mombasa international.
I remained a Deputy for 18 years of service and forced to retire in 2019 despite my excellent results in my subject nationally. The retirement package was really disappointing and parents were not informed of my retirement.
The Turkish teachers live in 2-3 bedroomed houses which range from Sh70k-100k pm, after only a term of their arrival they are given cars, free medical cover and their wives given employment to teach Turkish with hefty salaries those who don’t teach have allowance for themselves and Househelp-everything is free.
Most of the Turkish teachers are not fluent in English and discuss official matters in Turkish. They have a way of getting working permit even citizenship.
I was promised to head the Malindi Light Academy as the first African Principal and after doing a lot of marketing the decision was reversed unceremoniously at the last minute and a Turkish appointed who was a teacher under me with no administrative skills at all.
Isn’t it racism that makes such decisions possible? A decision on the belief that Africans can’t lead?
On admission they only take the best students after interviews and even poach from other schools in the guise of scholarships that’s why they have maintained good results throughout for their reputation and very tactful in removing none performing students.
They have established Turkish empire in Kenya, they know their ways in and out of the government getting the papers at will from Teachers Service Commission (TSC), work permit, licences etc. They have even built their own hospital in Malindi; Afya Clinic.
The children/students they teach are Kenyan citizen milking their parents at will. Surely, there should be fair treatment of students, workers and teachers indiscriminately.