The pathetic and sorry state of most primary schools across the country is worrying and one questions where Millions of money pumped by the national government to facilitate Primary educations goes to.
The Bungoma County Assembly Speaker John Makali has called upon the National state to devolve Primary education in a bid to improve the deteriorating state of Primary Education in the Country.
Makali noted that it was high time the state devolves Primary Education saying that County governments have structures in place to support primary education .
“As County governments we have structures in placed already to promote and support Primary education, so the national state should give us the mandate to be in charge of it”, Said Makali.
The speaker cited rising cases of fire guttering schools, winds destroying roofs, outbreak of diseases and jiggers and many disasters striking Primary school children where county leaders have been of vital help to ensure that their education is not destructed even financing their education to university level.
He stated that such incidents prove that County government is up to task to ensure that Primary education is well conducted to the benefit of the children and the society at large.
Makali who was speaking in a political talk show “CROSS FIRE” in West Fm Radio said there was no need for the state to be in charge of the Primary Education while when disasters and maters of urgency strike primary schools, the state is not there to remedy the situation.
It is the governors, speakers, MCA’s, women representatives, chief officers and county executive officers who have been helping primary schools in case of urgency, where is the national state when fire strike schools and razed down properties worth million shillings?, it is the county leaders who have always been visiting the scenes and lend helping hand to such schools”, asked Makali.
The vocal speaker pointed out it was awkward for the county governments to be in charge of ECDE alone yet the two entities goes hand in hand and one affects the other.
He appealed to the ministry of Education to ensure that the County government are awarded the mandate of being in charge of Primary education.
“Primary Education, just like ECDE is very crucial to the lives of younger children and it is vital if pupils are being monitored at a close range by County leaders to give them a firm foundation”, he suggested.
Makali urged the state to ensure that the monies channeled for free Primary educations is well utilized and leaders caught misappropriating funds should be faced by the full force of the law.
“It is a pity that after the state allocating money to facilitate free primary education, children are still learning under trees in a scorching sun and it is in this regard that I feel it would be vital if such children are put under the care of County leaders who mostly are near their reach”, he added.
Speaker Makali’s sentiments comes in the wake of multiple cases where needy primary school pupils have been rescued by County leaders who have also been the pillar of their success.
