Reprieve for parents as Nakuru county employs ECDE teachers

Attendees at the induction and deployment of 350 ECDE teachers at St Mary Primary School in Nakuru on January 8, 2019. [Harun Wathari, Standard]

Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres will now be put to good use after the Nakuru County government engaged the services of more than 300 teachers.

This offers relief to parents who have been shouldering the burden of employing ECDE teachers to serve in the centres which are critical in the education sector.

The county government this week deployed 350 teachers employed under permanent and pensionable terms unlike their predecessors who had been operating under contracts with parents and schools operating the ECDE centres.

Speaking at St Mary’s Girls Primary School in Nakuru town last week, Deputy Governor Eric Korir said the county has 939 registered ECDE centres, majority of which do not have teachers.

“This is the beginning of a bold plan to facilitate education at ECDE centres, which have been grappling with lack of human resource. Previously, only 10 teachers had contracts,” said Mr Korir. 

He said the county government will increase capitation to the Education department to ensure each centre has at least two teachers to effectively deliver.

“The new curriculum provides for Pre-primary One and Two, which needs to be handled by two teachers. We are targeting at least two teachers in each centre,” he said.

Local Knut branch executive secretary Mungai Muhia praised the county government for employing more teachers.

“We are engaging the Council of Governors to ensure the welfare of the ECDE teachers is taken care of. This is an opportunity to transform livelihoods,” he said.