Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says national government will not achieve the ambitious 100 percent Form One transition unless it invests in modern infrastructure development and employment of more teachers in secondary schools.
Oparanya said the idea is good but poor planning will cost efforts to ensure that it succeeds adding that many schools lacked adequate facilities and teachers to be able to accommodate large number of students enrolling following the introduction of the programme by Education Ministry.
He noted that unless the government invests money in proper infrastructure expansion in secondary schools the programme will hit a snag.
Speaking in Kisumu after a meeting with county Officers to validate the Annual Development Plan, Oparanya noted that Form One intake in schools had doubled yet infrastructure expansion was not being undertaken in the same rate.
The governor said principals of schools were collecting money from parents for infrastructure expansion because the government has left them to carry the burden of implementing the 100 percent Form One transition programme.
He gave an example of Mabole secondary school in Butere Sub County where he is the chairman of the Board of Management where the management has borrowed some classrooms from the neighbouring primary to use for lessons adding that such moves will compromise education standards.
Oparanya said his administration had helped in expansion of infrastructure in secondary schools saying that they had built classrooms and other facilities in 25 secondary schools.
He urged other governors to do the same so as to support the national government’s initiative.
He added that it is not illegal for counties to build facilities in schools saying the law requires that if the county wants to do that it should involve all stakeholders.
He added that CDF money should be directed to building secondary schools to support the program.
