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"id": 1380730,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Nairobi City County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Esther Passaris",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for the answers. I would like to ask a question on capitation. In the table that you have provided, I have seen that we never really reached Ksh22,000. We have been declining and stuck on Ksh17,000. I can speak for my county but I am sure it is the same across the country. Are you aware that right now, all secondary schools are owed between Ksh10 million to Ksh30 million in unpaid school fees by the parents? Even the bursaries that we give are not able to cushion the schools. Capitation is not adequate. In spite of the fact that we have a rule that no child should be sent home because of lack of school fees, many children are still sent home. At the same time, school operations are literally paralysed. Does the Cabinet Secretary know the amount of money that is owed to schools by parents over and above the capitation reductions? Is there any plan to cushion schools in the Ministry’s budget considering that if we do not do it, then the schools are going to be paralysed? When it comes to transition on No.27, you talked about the Government’s target of 100 per cent transition. Is the Cabinet Secretary aware of the number of students that have not yet reported to school because of limitations by the families to buy school uniforms, books and also to pay school fees? What is the plan of the Government and the Ministry to ensure that we do something towards cushioning the families that have not been able to send their children to school in order to attain the 100 per cent transition? On counselling and guidance, Cabinet Secretary, are you are aware that in 2014, this august House passed the Counsellors and Psychologists Act 2014? While you talk about working with religious leaders, with the rise in mental health, I am just wondering whether your Ministry and the Ministry of Health are working to operationalise the Act. We cannot leave mental health to religious institutions. It requires trained professionals to become counsellors and psychologists. Most private schools provide that. I feel the failure to provide guidance and counselling to our students in public schools is the reason why we end up with suicides, high dropouts and poor results."
}