Light International School came to Kenya under the guise of Omiriye Foundation. After their Lord, Fetulah Gullen, tried to overthrow the legitimate government of Turkey, all their workers around the world were barred from returning to Turkey. They changed their name from Omiriye Foundation to Omiriye Limited that now oppresses workers.
The management of Light Academy which has branches in major towns of Nairobi and Mombasa has been accused of racism against Kenyan workers.
A source told Kenyanbulletin.com that the school doesn’t allow Africans (Kenyans) to hold the position of a headteacher or deputy headteacher.
The school which attracts high net worth Kenyans also doesn’t allow Kenyans to be class teachers. In both scenarios, only people from Turkey are allowed.
If a high position such as that of a deputy headteacher is given to a Kenyan, he or she is undermined not to perform as he/she will not be given the powers to act as one.
“It is like apartheid where we are segregated based on colour. Hata madharau ni mengi‘, an employee of the school told Kenyanbulletin.com
The cases of oppression and mistreatment some bordering on outright racism have been covered numerous times but the lameduck immigration department and ministry of education have done nothing.
A common complaint we’ve received is that such establishments habor a lot of foreigners, some with expired work permits.
Ideally, as per immigration laws, foreigners must only be allowed to work in Kenya in jobs that Kenyans cannot do. And as such, he or she must work for a maximum of 2 years while training a Kenyan, then leave.
This is not the case at Light Academy as Kenyan staff complain that Turks have invaded the area with some doing simple works such as storekeeping.
“They sack teachers at will without any reason to create space for their incoming Turkish teachers. Kenya Government need to closely investigate what goes on inside these so-called international schools run by foreigners”, a source told Kenyanbulletin.com
Below is one case of mistreatment as narrated by a teacher in 2019
When you look at the pay slip, basic salary of a Kenyan teacher will be as little as 20,000/=. To make it seen that they pay much, they add allowances that would make the gross pay look big. The reason being, they are playing smart so that they do not pay as much gratuity as they should. Because they cannot be allowed back in Turkey, most of them have opted to get Kenyan Citizenship. (Remember Miguna was denied this right despite being born in Kenya).
There is a Turkish principal who was posted here in Kenya from one of their Uganda Campuses. This man sacked a total of 8 teachers at once without giving reasons…yes, the teachers are employed on contract but at least there is need to explain why the contracts of so many workers cannot be renewed.
Mr. Yassin talks to teachers anyhow despite the presence of the students and this ends up making student to openly disrespect teachers. The most bogus thing is that, degree holders who are teaching in the institution have been enrolled in an ECD Class so as to help them get TSC Number.
Is teaching about TSC Number or is it about trained teachers teaching in levels they have been trained to teach?
How do you justify someone with ECD training to teach in High School just because they possess TSC number?
The government needs to come out and get serious about the teaching profession, more so in Private Schools.
I am saddened to see graduates being cheated to attend ECD classes of which their pay is deducted.
Some teachers in the said school are P1 teachers but teaching in high school just to feel the void.
They don’t, thank you for voicing the voiceless. Teachers in Private schools suffer, in the hands of management and learners and parents.
Watu wanaumia my friend.
