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{
"id": 1048527,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1048527/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
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"speaker": {
"id": 13217,
"legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I urge my sister, Sen. (Dr.) Milgo, that she needs to relook at how she can intertwine between infrastructure and also ensuring that we have a motivated human resource. When you go to every county, all the ECDE teachers are either complaining that they have not been paid their money, they are being paid through petty cash; they do not get the benefits, where they get the statutory deductions, and money that equates their work. You can imagine the work that ECDE teachers do. They ensure that they provide a safe learning environment. Basically, they are babysitting our children, if you want to put it that way. Apart from teaching them to learn, they must teach them how to behave, dress and associate with others. Those are basic requirements that are needed at that level. The ECDE teachers are doing unique work. Madam Temporary Speaker, there was a law that was supposed to be passed - I do not know whether it was by the Senate or the National Assembly - on the ECDE, looking at the advent of the Basic Education Act of 2013 that was the genesis of Article 53 of the Constitution 2010. As we look even at infrastructure, I appeal to the Mover of the Motion that we need to have a motivated human resource. My proposal is that since the TSC has infrastructure, they should see a way of working together with the Council of Governors (CoG) and county governments because there is the Intergovernmental Relations Act that is already in place. They can use the infrastructure of payment of ECDE teachers, just the way they are paying TSC teachers from primary and secondary schools, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TIVET) and even higher education learning. Madam Temporary Speaker, for example, in Nandi County - I do not know about other counties - we have a huge problem where the ECDE teachers have not been paid or given the necessary benefits. Their statutory deductions are not done. They are being hired and fired left, right and centre. We should also see if we can put the ECDEs teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, so that they can even take loans and develop themselves. They can come up as they also have families. That is very important. Thirdly is on the infrastructure of re-enforcing 10 per cent of the budget. I agree that we need to create a friendly and enabling environment for our young children to grow and also learn many basic things in their lives. We need to relook at those issues. Madam Temporary Speaker, on infrastructure, I wish the Ministry of Education and the county governments could partner through intergovernmental relations. I have seen the Chairperson of the Committee on Devolved Government and Intergovernmental Relations, Sen. M. Kajwang’, here. They can use that partnership of having standardised ECDE centres. When you see ECDE centres that are being developed in Mombasa and Nandi counties, they are worlds apart. The way they are being designed is not child-friendly. In my county, the governor has decided to bring desks that are meant for Class Six or Class Seven students; children who are older, yet, you need to design specific desks that belong to ECDE. Madam Temporary Speaker, even the design, the colours and the drawings in the classrooms matter. We should design the classrooms the way they should be. It is good that we have my good Chairperson, Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri, who has been the Minister of Education for a long time. These people and governors should be taught that when you The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}