Relief for Brookhouse parents as court orders resumption of online classes
Nairobi 13th May 2020 – High court Justice Weldon Korir has today issued orders that will see kindergarten to year 4 pupils at Brookhouse School resume online classes effective immediately.
Last week, a section of parents at the high-end institution expressed concern that suspension of online classes following a petition by another section of parents calling itself BPA (Brookhouse Parents Association) was in bad taste.
Court documents seen by Maudhui House indicate that some parents claimed that when BPA moved to court seeking fee waivers and subsequent suspension of online classes, they did not consult them.
“We joined a WhatsApp group set up by a small number of parents which the intention to set up a formal parent association (We subsequently left the WhatsApp group). However, we have not had any further involvement with the group calling itself BPA. In particular, we do not support the petition”, reads a letter from one of the parents.
In their court filings, the parents insisted that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, their kids were already getting used to and falling in love with virtual learning, only for the new routine to be savagely shuttered after BPA filed the petition.
“We support the school and look forward to the resumption of learning for the younger children and for disruption of the school’s normal plans to come to an end”.
As soon as the government announced the closure of all schools thanks to the Coronavirus problem, Brookhouse says it immediately deployed its technology platforms fit for live virtual learning.
Through the platform, teachers could conduct normal classes live on-screen all day with students in full attendance following a normal timetable. Virtual learning for Kindergarten to year 4 was however suspended when BPA moved to court over a fee dispute with the institution.
While issuing the orders via Zoom Video conferencing, Justice Korir said that the order issued on April 30th suspending online classes was hereby varied to allow virtual classes to resume for all kindergarten to year 4 students who wish to take part.
“The interim orders as varied today are extended to 8th June 2020,” He said.
