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{
    "id": 1525216,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1525216/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 148,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Murugara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "top. We used to have District Education Boards (DEBs), and most schools were established under them. When districts became counties – the districts were 42 before additional districts were created between 1985 and 1992 – the DEBs were replicated in all the counties. So, counties got the county education boards. However, many sub-counties – equivalent to the districts – do not have these boards. This is the right time to establish education boards that will sit at the sub-county headquarters to discuss matters of education. I support the Bill wholeheartedly. We should establish these education boards, with or without the proposed amendments. The issue of remuneration may be a little bit wanting. I do not see why the Government cannot dedicate money towards this so that when the boards sit, the members draw an allowance like any other civil servant or person entitled to an allowance. The functions of the sub-county education boards are set out. They are very important functions. What we have at the county level will be devolved to the sub-county level. In essence, we will have the education boards’ services nearer to the people. Those who want to do things at the basic level will do it from the sub-county. Registration of schools is quite hectic because we have only one director of sub-county education and one director of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). With these boards established, it would mean if we want to register new schools… There cannot be any policy in the country that prevents new schools from being registered since the population is increasing from time to time. We also have to shorten the distances between one school and the other. We do not want our children to walk long distances when they attend primary and day secondary schools. So, at the end of the day, we should aim to have a primary school and possibly a day secondary school in every village. The 100 per cent transition from primary school to secondary school means that every primary school must have a day secondary school attached to it to accommodate its pupils. Therefore, the boards we are about to establish will be very important in doing this and ensuring that matters of education are dealt with at the basic level. As I continue to appraise what happened, let me give this House an incident that took place in my constituency, Tharaka, in Tharaka Nithi County. An education board would have solved the problem immediately. During the teachers’ replacement recruitment exercise that was being done at sub-county levels, Chaikariga Sub-County got a zero allocation. When the slots were allocated, I had three fully-fledged sub-counties in Tharaka Constituency. These are Tharaka North, Tharaka South and Chiakariga."
}