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{
    "id": 1567681,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1567681/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir for this opportunity. I support the Statement by Sen. Abass on the issue of ECDE centres in Wajir County. Counties have been mandated to establish and set up ECDE centres across the 47 counties. One of the reasons this statement is so crucial is because it is at the stage of ECDE that children cognitive attributes are developed. Some of the ECDEs that are being put up by counties are in a pathetic state. They cannot even help any of those minors who are attending them to develop cognitive abilities they are supposed to have by the time they join the pre-primary stage of education. While this right has been assured and resourced, such that resources have been devolved to the counties, they are doing a bad job. In fact, it is shocking that a county such as Wajir, where children are very vulnerable, the County Government has not even managed to roll out a basic feeding programme. Such a county has not even made arrangements for the porridge that counties are purporting to give children. When the child goes to school, he or she is not even able to keep tabs with what they are being instructed on. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I urge the Committee on Education to go even beyond what is provided for in this statement and check the capacity of the instructors who are being sent to the ECDE by the county governments. Some of those instructors are not qualified to instruct in an ECDE because of their capacity. The idea should be that this capacity should be built for them to be well-resourced to deliver on the mandate they are given to handle our children at a very tender stage. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I urge the Committee to ensure that they check the terms that are given to the instructors, the caregivers and the whole support system, which include the staff and the staff establishment that serves these ECDEs in the counties. What their capacity is and what terms they are being given. The other day, I went to the Committee on Education as a friend of that Committee. I was shocked to hear what some of the counties are paying the ECDE teachers and yet, we expect them to deliver and give the children the rights they are supposed to have. It is shocking that for some teachers, their capacity is wanting, but the facilities that have been offered by some of the counties are only basic structures. They do not even have furniture."
}