Waa Girls Secondary School in Matuga has appealed to the Kwale county government to help it acquire a title deed for its 23 acres.
Principal Ruth Recklangs on Saturday said it is the biggest challenge hurting the school's progress as development remains stunt because their compound has yet to be officially documented. She spoke on their prizegiving day.
Recklangs said the school population has grown to 950 students but the land was initially meant to hold about 640 girls. "The authorisation for the land given was meant to cater for a small number, unlike now. The population has tremendously grown," she said.
She said they cannot expand as required and cannot convince the Ministry of Education otherwise until parents, with the help of Kwale leadership, join forces. She said the new policy from the ministry is that without a title deed, a school cannot be registered.
The headteacher said fixing the land ownership issue is important as it would help the school to construct more classrooms and staff houses. Currently, only three staff members take care of students at night — the boarding master, the principal and her deputy.
According to Recklangs, the figure is too big to be monitored by three people, hence the need to host more teachers within the compound to heighten surveillance and security.
“If we calculate, it means each person gets 300 students and that number is too big to be managed by three individuals," she said.
County Lands and Natural Resources executive Saumu Beja promised to ensure the title deed is out in 90 days. She said they will consult with the National Land Commission to attain a suitable solution.
Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani said she will follow up on the issue. She added, however, that some issues the school had presented will have to wait because the county works through budgets and the financial year had passed. Achani said even though secondary institutions are under the national government, the county will try its best to assist.