ODM MPs push for free and compulsory secondary education

By Geoffrey Mosoku

NAIROBI, KENYA: Opposition MPs are now planning to amend the education act to compel the state to absorb all students who sit for class eight exams into secondary schools.

The MPs want the law to make it compulsory for every Kenya child to get secondary education as part of basic education, which is guaranteed by the constitution of Kenya 2010.

The ODM legislators say they are targeting Basic Education Act 2013, to have it amended and ensure the definition of basic education extended up to secondary school level and made free and compulsory.

MPs Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Florence Mutua (Busia Women Rep), Joyce Lay (Taita Taveta Women Rep) and Junet Mohamed (Suna east), say the bill intends to ensure that all Kenyan children receive education.

As it is, they argue that the law only provides basic education up to class eight but is silent on transition to secondary school, leaving thousands of kids out of school every year.

According to the statistics of last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results released in December, a total of 839,759 candidates sat for the exam with about half of those qualifying to join secondary schools having scored over 250 marks.

“Out of these 417, 483 scored above 250 marks proceeding to secondary school and the other 422, 276 are set to discontinue their education,” Wandayi said.

Addressing a press conference at parliament building, the ODM legislators said they will be building a bi-partisan approach to the amendment saying the move will even help the Jubilee government implement its manifesto that promised free basic education.

“We are telling the Jubilee government that it is time now to walk the talk and implement your manifesto. Even ODM and Cord had promised Kenyans the same, so we expect these amendments to sail through,” he added.

Ms Lay noted that majority of the kids who do not get secondary school education end up in social ills such as crime and child prostitution.

And to address the menace, Ms Lay said the government has the capacity to expand the existing infrastructure to ensure all the kids have access to the basic right of education.

“Let the government seal all the loopholes to ensure that everyone pays taxes and duties to provide funds for infrastructure to sustain the education sector,” she said.

The MPs say the state can expand all existing primary schools to have four new classrooms per primary to absorb the remaining kids who don’t make it to secondary schools.