Address education crisis in northern Kenya, State told

Politicians, community-based organisations and human rights activists pressed the Government for immediate intervention on the education crisis in northern Kenya.

 In a joint statement released yesterday at the Nairobi Safari Club, the group now wants the Government to allocate sufficient resources to start a crash programme for the next three months, including the August holiday, to enable affected students sit exams with their counterparts in the rest of the country.

"Many schools in the region are closed, and the situation is dire. If this continues for long, then it is going to be a recipe for more radicalisation," said Arid Lands Development Focus Kenya Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Abdi.

In northern Kenya, only one out of three children go to school while in other areas, enrolment has surpassed 90 per cent, and currently there are no measures to reverse the trend.

They said more than one million children from arid and semi-arid areas face an uncertain future because they are out of school. Also, an estimated 300,000 children in schools are not sure of their fate due to high drop-out rate. Out of 10 children who enrol in school, only two complete, and the ratio of teachers to students is 1:100.

The group said students who complete school perform poorly and cannot get a chance to join other institutions. This predisposes them to crime, drug abuse and other social ills.