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{
    "id": 185162,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/185162/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 184,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ogindo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 120,
        "legal_name": "Martin Otieno Ogindo",
        "slug": "martin-ogindo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, my name is Mr. Otieno Ogindo, Member of Parliament for Rangwe. I think you are both generous and at the same time mean to me, because you have given me the chance, but it is very limited. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to start with the teacher to pupil ratio. According to the figures I have, the enrolment is about 9.5 million at the primary and secondary levels. When I contacted the TSC, I was told that they have about 249,000 teachers. That ratio works out to about one teacher to 35 pupils. That is not the case in my constituency, as I know it. I wonder where this discrepancy is. The second thing is about the teachers' pension. I think it is time the Minister worked in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Minister for Labour, so that we can establish a contributory pension fund for teachers. I know of teachers who retired over a year ago and they are still making trips to Nairobi and back. They spent their pensions in advance in form of borrowed money to come and chase the same. 2602 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 8, 2008 Last but not least, I think the Minister needs to pursue a more vigorous education policy. It defeats me to understand why our neighbour Uganda, which has a population of about 30 million people compared to ours of about 36 million people, is able to afford universal primary and secondary education, yet in Kenya we are struggling with a tuition-sponsored education programme. I think it is time, if we want to invest in education, we seriously thought of adopting the same policy on free and compulsory basic education, from nursery to Form Four. I believe that re-arranging the budget of the Ministry of Education is possible."
}