Education sector on right track, says Uhuru

CORD MPs disrupt President Uhuru Kenyatta's State of the Nation Address at Parliament on Thursday 31/03/16. PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday assured Kenyans that the education sector was on the right track.

In spelling out the gains made in the sector, the President said an appropriate curriculum to fix the country's education system was being worked on.

He said his government would strive to minimise the annual wastage in the sector.

He singled out reforms at the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) saying credibility and integrity of the national tests shall be restored.

"Education has been the vital pipeline to opportunity in Kenya. We cannot afford to leave any child behind," he said adding that his administration was committed to increasing the transition rates to the various levels of learning.

Of the over 925,000 students who sat last year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations, only 759,000 gained admission to Form One.

"The rest, 167,000 of our young boys and girls, are sitting at home idle and vulnerable to the lure of vices. It is my determination to reduce this gap to zero by 2017," he said.

In his 'State of the Nation' address, the President said he would engage Parliament to ensure that by next year, 3,000 additional classrooms are constructed to achieve a 100 per cent transition rate.

In addition, capitation for primary school children will be sent in time to ensure children stay in school.

"I will implore Parliament to support this endeavour," he said.

The President maintained that the promised laptops for primary school children were on the way and would be delivered this year, noting that the gadgets were already in the country and only waiting to be delivered.

"I am pleased to report that our promise to roll out the digital learning programme will be fulfilled this year. The learning devices, I am glad to say, are in the country, and are being subjected to tests," he said.

All the one million children targeted by the Jubilee pet project will benefit from the programme.

"Over one million Standard One pupils will have access to a digital learning device, and appropriate curricula," he said.

 

22,000 public primary schools have so far been connected to power in readiness for the digital dream, and 60,000 teachers have already been trained to support the digital learning experience.

Uhuru's assurances came a day after the Government announced that 150 public primary schools selected for the pilot phase would get the devices on May 1. They also came after the Ministry of Education held a day-long meeting with head teachers of the chosen schools.

Uhuru said his administration's energy was also trained on creating jobs for the youth. "The focus now is on how to make our youth employable by equipping them with appropriate technical skills. Our labour market suffers a huge deficit of technical skills," he said.