Category: Study

The Tinderet National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) has released Sh55 million in bursary to learners in various schools and tertiary institutions.

Area Member of Parliament (MP) Julius Melly who issued the cheques at Got Ne Lel Girls Secondary School said out of the figure, beneficiaries in day schools would receive Sh33 million while those in boarding schools would get Sh8.5 million. Learners in colleges and universities will receive Sh6.2 and Sh4.9 respectively.

A total of 70 bright and needy students will receive up to Sh. 53,000 each to cater for all their expenses in school, he added.

Melly said through the Presidential Bursary Scheme, an additional 56 learners would benefit from Sh679,000 to support their education.

He said the support was a commitment from the government and the Constituency leadership to ensure that all children go to school, urging the respective principals to spend the money prudently for the benefit of the learners.

‘The drive to free education has gathered
momentum. There is a lot of effort from the government, Members of Parliament, banks and well-wishers and therefore no child should be left at home,’ he said.

The MP lamented over cases of school drop out in the area which he said stemmed out of parents abdicating their responsibilities.

He said some of the children ended up working in sugarcane plantations as cane cutters killing the dream of boosting education standards in the area.

He asked chiefs and assistant chiefs through their structures to intensify a crackdown in their areas to ensure that the practice is eradicated.

The administrators, he added, must work with other government agencies to mop up all learners and ensure they go to school.

Melly further urged the school heads not to send children home due to lack of school fees but invite their parents to school and come up with a payment structure.

‘The government is struggling with generating revenue. Even the CDF we are releasing today has delayed. Therefore, you must manage the funds to the
best of your ability,’ he said.

He noted that retaining students in school has proven to have a positive impact on results urging teachers to work with the capitation funds allocated to them to sustain learners.

‘Research has shown that sending children home takes away 40% of their performance. This also exposes them to bad company and stigma besides lowering their self-esteem,’ he said.

Mental health, he added, was a big challenge in the Constituency and the country at large.

This, he said has seen five Early Childhood Education (ECD) teachers commit suicide in the area over the last one year.

The issue, he said, was alarming calling on school heads to restore guidance and counselling services.

‘Let us talk to one another. Let us talk to the students because some of them have children back at home and this affects them in one way or the other,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Baringo county government has disbursed bursaries amounting to Sh528 million to over 30,000 learners in both secondary schools and tertiary institutions since the advent of Devolution in 2013.

Governor Benjamin Cheboi said that despite the funds boosting enrolment and education standard in the region, the amount was too little to cater for the ever increasing number of students in need of assistance to pursue their studies.

The governor said this on Tuesday at his Kabarnet office grounds when he launched the distribution of County bursary and scholarship funds worth Sh78 million set to benefit 1,498 trainees in 15 vocational training centres, 1,598 early childhood development teachers who are undergoing Competency Based Curriculum training as well as 6,519 learners in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

He thanked local MCAs for committing their ward funds meant for development towards bursary kitty to support needy and bright children from poor households.

Governor Cheboi proposed a change in l
aws governing Equalization Fund which currently supports infrastructure development in the primary health care, road and water sectors.

He argued that restricting the funds only to development of structures and leaving out the crucial element of personnel emolument, equipment and maintenance of the physical facilities may not achieve the desired intention of addressing historical marginalization and unequal development in the country

Governor Cheboi noted that the Sh10 billion Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) given to 34 marginalized counties to improve quality of services was inadequate as the disadvantaged units were still grappling with myriad challenges like high illiteracy levels.

He stated that sub counties like Tiaty East and West as well as Baringo North and South who were set to benefit from Sh850 million Equalization Fund allocated to the county were in need of massive investment in education in order to turn around the region.

‘We have a problem of insecurity in our county and one of the
causes is high illiteracy levels. In our communities we don’t know alternative sources of raising funds other than stealing cows,’ said Cheboi.

The Baringo governor challenged legislators and lawmakers to increase allocation to counties in order to address such glaring inequalities that were likely to stagnate growth in devolved units.

Deputy Governor Eng. Felix Kimaiyo in his remarks expressed the need of having an educated society which he said was crucial in eradicating poverty besides enhancing the security of residents.

Among the leaders who attended the launch include County Assembly Committee Chair for Education Michael Chebon, Assembly Deputy Speaker Kipruto Kimsop and County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education Rev. Symon Kiuta.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National Council for Persons with Disabilities has partnered with the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) to train government officers in Kenyan Sign Language to enable individuals with hearing impairment to access public services.

Speaking during the Kenyan Sign Language training at Kisii primary school in Kisii town, KISE Representative John Mwaura said they want to impact knowledge among government workers who provide services to citizens so that they can ensure people who are deaf are incorporated and served appropriately in government offices.

Mr Mwaura noted the program has been running within different training centers in the country to reach as many government workers as possible from different counties.

‘We are providing the participants with basic knowledge of the Kenyan Sign Language for three months to help them to speak, interpret, and assist those with hearing loss in their areas of need,’ he said.

Mwaura added that KISE aims to have at least 10 percent of the Kenyan population w
ith knowledge of Kenyan Sign Language to ensure they support those with hearing impairment from different communities.

Samuel Mokua, a Sign Language Facilitator from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities noted the training is free of charge and targets workers at the Huduma Centers countrywide and other government sectors that interact with people with hearing loss.

Mokua noted the training in Kisii had incorporated government workers from Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet, Kericho, Migori, and Homa bay counties.

Jackline Janai, a participant and staff at Huduma Center Kisii, told KNA that she had learned to communicate with the deaf community through the training and can assist them whenever they seek information at the customer care desk.

‘Previously, I would look for a pen and paper and request the deaf clients to write down the service they require at our offices. However, I am happy that I have learned the basics of Kenyan Sign Language and will be able to assist citizens with hearing impairment,’ s
aid Janai.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Interior and National Administration Principal Secretary (PS), Raymond Omollo, has called on the youths to embrace Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVETs), institutions to reduce unemployment in the country.

Omollo said joining TVET institutions will equip the youth with skills which they could use for self-employment and generate jobs for others.

Speaking, Tuesday, in Kanyadoto Ward, Ndhiwa Constituency, Dr Omollo advised the youth against developing the mindset that only the white-collar jobs were a measure of success.

He said the TVET institutions have the capability of providing the youth with skills which enable them to become job creators rather than job seekers.

‘Let our youth who have not attained university grades in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams join TVET institutions. This will equip them with skills which will drive the local economy,’ Dr Omollo said.

He said the government had set aside more than Sh600 billion for building human capacity with TVETs given t
he priority. This is in a bid to equip the youth with skills, which are relevant in the job market.

‘The government invested more than Sh600 billion to build human capital from the lowest level of education to the highest level. But the emphasis in this budget is TVETs,’ Dr Omollo said

The PS said the government was also setting up digital laboratories in all wards in the country, to enhance the digital economy.

‘Creation of the digital laboratories will give the youth access to the internet, enabling them to do online jobs and other activities, which can earn them a living,’ he said.

He said that the construction of the digital laboratories will be funded from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The PS said that the necessary legislation had been enacted to allow the NG-CDF to allocate funds for construction of digital laboratories in all wards across the country.

The PS also urged the youth to venture into agriculture, as a way of creating employment and boosting food secur
ity.

Dr Omollo told farmers to source subsidized fertilizers and increase production.

‘Fertilizers have been subsidized, our farmers should utilize the incentive to produce more as the planting season begins,’ Dr Omollo said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Teso South MP Mary Emase has urged school principals in the sub county to embrace the hybrid learning option to improve the standard of education after the area failed to produce grade ‘A’ plain in the last 10 years.

Speaking at St Joseph’s Chakol secondary during the distribution of bursary cheques to bright and needy students, Emase challenged teachers to do benchmarking on top schools in the region like Butere Girls where the hybrid system has been effective leading to excellence results.

‘Instead of lamenting about the meagre resources at your schools, why don’t you embrace the online learning method which has been tested in best national schools like Butere Girls and is working effectively?’ Emase advised.

The legislator added that ‘the NG-CDF Teso South is ready to procure software and facilitate benchmarking exercise to reclaim the lost golden glory of our sub county where St. Monica Chakol Girls and St. Pauls Amukura were champions in the western region.’

Emase added that it was time for schools a
nd learners to give value for the money noting that it’s worthless to benefit from a bursary scholarship for 4 years and produce grade Es.

‘Let us be realistic sometimes. Why should we give you a scholarship for years only to get an E? It will be better if you just join TVET College after primary and acquire a skill of your choice which will be more useful to you in life,’ she advised.

The progressive NG- CDF Teso South Constituency disbursed a total of Sh64 million education bursary cheques support to various beneficiaries and to help ease pressure on schools which were burdened by huge school fees areas.

‘I want to urge our parents also to be responsible and supportive to our schools in order to ignite positive results. If you are benefiting from both the county and NGCDF bursary, why don’t you clear the fee arrears?’ the legislator urged.

Emase warned parents against failing to shoulder their responsibilities thinking the government would cater fully for the education of their children.

‘Some parents
are not serious as much as we want to blame school principals. Someone with a balance of one thousand overlooks it until it accumulates a huge fee arrear prompting school heads to send students back home,’ she added.

Emase however warned political leaders to keep politics out of schools and not to incite parents against teachers whenever the school produced poor results.

In the last year KCSE exams, Asinge Secondary produced D plain as the best mark in the school with 70% of the students getting grade E, a move that saw parents withdrawing their learners from the school citing poor management and political interference.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) is engaging the government on modalities of recruiting into permanent terms over 20,000 teachers who have been working as interns to bridge the existing shortage.

According to TSC Director of Quality Assurance Dr Reuben Nthamburi, the recruitment once finalised through adequate government funding will be a huge boost in addressing the teacher shortage that has affected the new Junior Secondary Schools.

Dr Nthamburi lauded the government’s commitment towards enhancing quality education after it recruited 56,000 teachers last year noting that the employment of another 20,000 will bridge the teacher shortage that stands at 116,000.

The Director at the same time added that TSC is in the process of promoting 35,000 teachers who have for years stagnated at job groups which he said is being undertaken transparently.

In addition, he said they are engaging the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) officials to resolve any issues after the latter queried the promotion process.

Dr Nthamburi was speaking in Naivasha during a consultative meeting to enhance the uptake of Science, Mathematics and Technology (STEM) in schools through the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa [CEMESTEA].

The Director emphasised that the commission is keen to support the uptake of STEM subjects by learners to drive creativity, and innovation much needed to support the country’s industrialisation agenda.

‘TSC will support the recommendations of ensuring 60 per cent of learners undertake STEM subjects, 15 per cent in sports and Arts and 25 per cent in social sciences to strike a balance,’ said Dr Nthamburi.

Consequently, the TSC will also support CEMESTEA’s progressive actions by ensuring adequate funding to ensure continuous teacher training through professional development programmes that will be cascaded to counties.

On her part, CEMESTEA CEO Jecinta Akatsa said already in partnership with the Education Ministry, TSC and other sector players have rolled out teacher traini
ng to enhance their capacity and stimulate creativity and innovation among learners.

Akatsa said they have rolled out coding training in five counties where the government has provided modern devices needed, an initiative which will guide full implementation to other schools.

To stimulate creativity in learners, Akatsa said they have rolled out school competitions where students can showcase their innovativeness and creative ideas in solving today’s challenges and easing operations.

‘CEMESTEA will continue to capacity-build science-oriented teachers who will be key to cultivating early drive among students to immerse themselves in STEM subjects,’ said Akatsa.

Source: Kenya News Agency