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{
    "id": 1057502,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057502/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Navakholo, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2543,
        "legal_name": "Emmanuel Wangwe",
        "slug": "emmanuel-wangwe"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Bill by the Departmental Committee on Education and Research. At the outset, the Early Childhood Education Bill, (Senate Bill, No. 26 of 2018) seeks to establish the framework for the necessary infrastructure for the comprehensive Early Childhood Development and Education system by the county governments. When you look at the issue of education, the part on early childhood is anchored in our Constitution and is devolved. Therefore, this Bill gives direction on how the conduct, administration and support of the early childhood shall be done or handled at the county government level. Most of the funds that we give to county governments have contributed in developing a lot of infrastructure towards early childhood education. However, are we equipping that infrastructure with the right personnel? Are we taking good care of the children that are going into that infrastructure? Are we building the infrastructure commensurate to the population of the children that we have? Therefore, this Bill is coming at the right time when we are considering the Budget because soon, the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) will be here in the National Assembly. One thing we shall be looking at is how much we will be giving the devolved units in terms of the Division of Revenue. So, as the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, in their wisdom, considered this Bill, the House in general should look at how we are giving county governments funds. Are they using it in the right way as per the Constitution? The answer is yes. They are doing it, but they need to do it thoroughly. Part II of the Bill provides for the right of every child to free and compulsory early childhood education in a public education center. In order to realise this right, the Bill assigns various duties to the county governments, parents as well as teachers that will facilitate the promotion of the right to early childhood education. I read this Part II together with Article 43 on the economic and social rights in the Constitution and still, for you to be an upright thinking person in the country, education begins at an early stage. Therefore, in as much as Article 43 anchors and instructs us to the right to education as a social and economic right, it must begin early. So, this Bill has been brought at a very appropriate time so that we address the issue of our children. Let us not wait to have our children at a mature age and then put them into the basic education and force them to pursue a particular study. I thank the Government of Kenya today for introducing a new education system - the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which now starts as early as possible to identify particular talents in children so that they can grow up with a particular talent in mind. So, this Bill seeks to pursue the rights to education for a child and that is a good thing and timely when we are looking at the entire system. I support this Bill especially in Part III which provides for the establishment, registration and maintenance of early childhood education centers by the county governments. I want to cite an example of Kakamega County, which has really done well in terms of early childhood education centers. But it is not good enough. We encourage county governments to build more infrastructure. Let us have centers which can nurture our children into some level of modesty. Therefore, as this Bill seeks to guide the establishment, registration and maintenance of early childhood centers, it is a good thing and we should all support it. The basics in brain development in any child begin at those early stages. The obligation of a private education center and action by the County Education Board (CEB) where the education center fails to comply with the Act is enforceable into this Act. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}