“Chuma Chenu Ki Motoni!”, School Heads Warned.
Speaking at a function in Kandara constituency over the
weekend, The Director of Basic Education Mr.Haba S. Abdi also cautioned members
of the schools Board of Management (B.O.M.) who colluded with Principal and
Headteachers of secondary and primary schools respectively to swindle the
government allocation to their schools that this year things would be very
tough for them.
The director said that the skeleton in the closet and the
mess in our schools was the main reason teachers dreaded the impromptu visits
to schools by the Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Okeng'o Matiang'i.
“We cannot be a nation that allocates sh. 48billion annually
but have nothing to show for it. Are these resources being put into proper use if
13 years down the line for primary and 8 years for secondary, the learner: book
ratio is not yet 1:1? This is one of the reasons for poor exams results in
schools. It is so disturbing! This trend will not be entertained this year. Ule
mtego tumemwekea mwaka huu mtaona!” said Abdi.
He warned that no school was allowed to charge any extra
fees that had no authority from the Director of Education and approved by the
cabinet secretary.
“You principals, I have a big problem with you. Every time a
parent pays school fees you issue a receipt to acknowledge the same. Why don’t
you do the same when the government pays sh. 12,870 for every child?”
Sighting The Thika Superhighway as a landmark legacy that the
immediate Former President Emilio Mwai Kibaki will ever be remembered for, Abdi
challenged the heads to leave an outstanding legacy in their schools that will
always be remembered years to come. He equated the learners to some beautiful flowers
adding that if at all they were not watered, they would wither and dry up
eventually, thus the need to check their educational progress.
He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to join hands and
work hard to see that education in their area succeeded.
“There is no better life for this children without
education. Without it we are just like animals. You people (stakeholders) have
a great responsibility otherwise, very soon Central Kenya Region will be
overtaken by the rest of the country. As for you the school heads, wacheni
kulegalega! What is your Thika superhighway in the school you lead, a D+?” he
posed.
He raised concerned that even with the great facilities the
region had at its disposal, their education standards were still wanting. He also
lamented of the low enrolment in the schools that had led to some schools being
merged.
“In a remote place like where I come from in Garissa, the
whole community has given education the first priority. We were the first
people in Kenya to align a parent before court for not taking their children to
school. It is time you saw far like the giraffe. These children are our
tomorrow’s saviours. You people need to release the ‘handbrake’ to free your
children to Canaan,” he said.
Area MP Alice Muthoni Wahome commended the spirit of teamwork
that the stakeholders had accorded the education sector in the area since her
assumption to office in 2013 saying it was the reason Kandara had been steadily
rising in education. She called on the school heads to look for ways to
eradicate weak grades in their institutions as they worked to increase the
number of GRADE A students.
She said that very soon, the construction of Kandara Technical
Institute at Kiranga Trading Centre will kick off with the government
contributing sh. 10 million against her CDF kitty of sh. 8million.
Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau requested the people of Muranga
County to give Education priority especially from the sub-county levels.
He promised to offer incentives to those whose schools
performed well in national exams adding that he would personally sponsor a trip
to Mombasa to all school heads during their national heads meeting.
No comments: