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{
    "id": 1057635,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057635/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 424,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tinderet, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Julius Melly",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12849,
        "legal_name": "Julius Kipbiwot Melly",
        "slug": "julius-kipbiwot-melly"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the mediated version of this Bill. This Bill is quite timely and important. As we speak today, we have no clear law on the management of ECDE centres. The Bill actually cuts out on how to manage early childhood education across counties and sets standards. In Part II, Clause 5, the Bill gives out the rights of the child in especially what every county government has to do pertaining to early childhood education in this country. The Bill goes ahead to obligate county governments to put up structures and buildings and provide the necessary reading and writing materials. The Bill also points out the several duties of parents. Parents have a role, and this is very important especially because this is the formative age of a child. This is the age where the role of the parent is critical. The Bill also sets out the duties of a head teacher. As I speak, many early childhood educational centres are run concurrently in primary schools. So, this Bill tries to streamline that the head teacher within an ECDE centre has a very critical role in the management of the ECDE centres. More specifically, the Bill goes on to show how to assist children with special needs. We have several children who have special needs arising from physical, mental or other forms of impairment. The Bill is quite important especially on the establishment and registration of ECDE centres. As I speak, most ECDE centres mushroom anyhow. Businessmen build small structures and start ECDE centres. The Bill actually specifies how you can establish an ECDE centre and how you can register it. Especially in Clause 11, it provides how to establish a private ECDE centre. In this case, it gives on the suitability of premises. You have seen instances where certain ECDE centres do not have quality buildings. They stand on very small pieces of land and have very poor facilities. This Bill tries to make sure that such ramshackle kind of buildings are not allowed. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, even on the change of premises, it has been known that certain ECDE centres migrate - let me use that word - or are very mobile. You will just find them on street “A” today and next time you will find them on street “B.” This Bill is very clear that you cannot move an ECD centre from one place to another without permission. However, the Bill provides for mobile ECD centres for ASAL areas. County governments in ASAL areas are supposed to provide mobile ECD services. Centres that do not meet the standards that are set out in the Bill are supposed to be deregistered and cancelled. The Bill provides for that. This Bill is very vital, especially in running early childhood education centres across the country. In Clause 30, the Bill provides for the management of ECD centres. It has also come up with the establishment of boards of management. Currently, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities have boards of management and councils. The ECD centres do not have that. This is very important. The Bill also lays out the composition, functions and committees of the board and the parent-teacher association (PTA). 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."
}