Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1048570,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1048570/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 226,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Kang’ata",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1826,
        "legal_name": "Irungu Kang'ata",
        "slug": "irungu-kangata"
    },
    "content": "I sit, that is inadequate. We need teachers who are well paid and well-motivated, so that they can take care of our children at that level. In other developed societies, nursery school teachers tend to be the best paid. They could be paid even more than professors of universities because there is an appreciation of the importance of early childhood education. Once we pass this Motion, we will have a situation where counties will be compelled to provide free food for the poor children in our counties in nursery and pre- nursery level. Currently, there are so many children who do not attend pre-school because they cannot afford meals and other fees demanded at pre-school level. I am aware of several fees that are usually introduced at that level. Remember the national Government only takes care of primary and secondary schools education, but at pre-school level, it is the counties. That is a devolved function under the Fourth Schedule. Some counties do not build nursery schools. It is parents who are told to pay for such schools’ development. Most counties also do not provide food. Therefore, it is the poor parents who are compelled to pay for food. You will also find some counties that do not even have the money to hire teachers. Therefore, if we pass this Motion to compel counties to invest at least 10 per cent of the budgets to children at that level, we will have higher school enrolment at that level. We will also have better quality schooling. Madam Temporary Speaker, we do not even know the standards, which are obtained at preschool levels in our counties. Are we getting the correct curriculum? Is the curriculum a standardised? What about the training of our teachers? Is it good training? What about children going to school knowing at least that they have a meal that is going to be provided by the county government, and therefore, you boost school enrolment? This is a very important Motion. We all know, currently, that this Senate has pushed the national Government, and we will devolve more funds in the next financial year. We expect that at least, at the minimum, Kshs400 billion will be devolved for the first time in this country. With Kshs400 billion counties can afford to provide for 10 per cent of their budget to be allocated to Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) programmes in this country. Currently, you find counties paying recurrent expenditure and recurrent budget at 70 per cent or even 80 per cent. We want to compel those counties to invest more in education. Early childhood education is the most important education a child gets. If a child goes on a negative tangent at that level, rarely will you find that child improving later on in life. At that point, the child is learning very important skills; cognitive skills and linguistic skills. If we under invest, that child is not going to have very good cognitive abilities going forward. Madam Temporary Speaker, we also need to ensure that children at that level also get adequate play. That includes expanding fields and stadiums, where those young children can go and play. That needs more money and that is why I support this motion because with a 10 per cent allocation of the budget to ECDE, I foresee counties building more fields and stadiums for our children to go and play, so that they can grow and become very good leaders in their societies. Madam Temporary Speaker, let me speak generally on matters education. From where I sit, I have seen the level of education in this country deteriorating. I say that 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."
}