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{
"id": 207347,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/207347/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Youth Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to also add my voice in support of this Motion. First, I want to congratulate the Mover, Mr. Angwenyi, for bringing a very well thought- out-Motion. We have free primary education in our country. But a very big segment of our August 22, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3345 population is not able to access that free education. That is because, instead of starting it from level one, we started it from a higher level. The free primary education should have started at the level of early childhood education. Children were not able to access free primary education because they could not proceed to Standard I, where the free primary education starts without, first of all, going through the early childhood classes. I mean nursery schools or kindergartens for that matter. Therefore, for free primary education to benefit all, it is good to start from early childhood education. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, secondly, teachers who handle those kids at early childhood level should actually be given specialised training. That specialised training is even more expensive in terms of cost than the training of teachers who teach in normal primary schools. When we award bursaries through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) and other sources, those teachers who are pursuing early childhood education course are actually paying more than their colleagues at lower and upper levels of primary school education. They are supposed to have special skills. Handling children at their tender age requires some special training. The colleges that offer early childhood education are not as many of those that offer training for normal primary school teachers. As a result of the scarcity of resources, the cost of their courses is more expensive. Therefore, it is good that we absorb those teachers in the normal Public Service where they are paid by the Government, in order to get the returns of their money. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in terms of workload, the teachers offering early childhood education work very hard. They work in a very difficult environment. You can imagine handling kids aged three to four years. Actually, some of the kids at that early childhood education level are physically disabled. So, you can see the environment which those teachers really work in. You will agree with me that it is a hardship environment. Therefore, those teachers need to be absorbed by the Government. With that hardship environment, that cost is transferred to the parents. Parents pay a lot of money for their kids at the early childhood education level. It will be good if this Government makes that education free by giving the facilities that are required and paying the teachers who teach at that level. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of those teachers study up to diploma level. They are very resourceful people in the education system. It is good for the Government, this time round, to take the initiative of allowing them to join the Public Service. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know my colleagues have mentioned that early childhood education was being provided by local authorities. That is the county councils. But of late, they are no longer viable to them. I propose that the Government should actually facilitate the county councils so that they can provide all that is required in terms of education at that level, or incorporate it in the normal curriculum of education at the Ministry level, and make it free for all. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the issue of curriculum is very important. I would suggest that the Government comes up with a curriculum that is universal for the whole country, including the early childhood education level. Early childhood institutions in every corner of this country should use the same curriculum that is used all over. If we do that, we will have gone a notch higher in our education system. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not have much to say. I wish to support this Motion and say: It is time that the Government provided free early childhood education."
}