HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 315937,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/315937/?format=api",
"text_counter": 209,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important to point out that in 2002, the primary and secondary schools curricula were revised to reduce the number of subjects taught and the content within subjects. This also arises from the Parliamentary Reports by this same Tenth Parliament, which I will table in a few minutes’ time. This was done so as to enable teachers cover the syllabi within the time available in an academic year. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with regard to shortage of teachers, my Ministry is addressing the issue, together with the TSC. I have also made representations to the relevant Parliamentary Committee and also requested Treasury for additional funding to recruit more teachers. I have been on record asking that during this financial year, we recruit 20,000 teachers but so far, the TSC has received money for the recruitment of only 11,000 teachers, whose recruitment is underway. I would like to point out that the clamour by this country for national schools, which would ordinarily have required exceptionally high marks because of the competition among our children; has been addressed by the establishment of more national schools in the country, which now stand at 78, down from 18, with distribution in all counties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this increased the intake to national schools from 4,517 in 2010 to a projected 16,000 in 2013. Hence, there is no need for any urgent measures in the implementation of the curriculum in so far as completion of the syllabi is concerned, because such a crisis does not exist in schools. In fact, since my arrival in the Ministry of Education on 4th April, 2012, I have not received complaint from anyone that the curricula that we have formulated cannot be covered within the timelines given in the circulars. The Ministry was implementing the findings of the Report of the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology on the Inquiry into Students Unrest and Strikes in Secondary Schools. As I will be showing in a few moments, Recommendation No.23 (viii) states very clearly that holiday tuition should be banned. The Committee was chaired by my very good friend, hon. David Koech, and was adopted by Parliament. My good friend, hon. John Pesa, is also a signatory to that Report. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you allow me, I will begin by tabling a number of documents, which demonstrate the arguments I have advanced. The first one is the Report of the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology on the Inquiry into Students Unrest and Strikes in Secondary Schools, dated October, 2008. I want to specifically draw the attention of the House to pages (vi) and (vii) to demonstrate that the Report was unanimously adopted by the Members of the Committee and then refer hon. Members to page 66, starting with Recommendation No.17, which reads as follows:- “17. The Code of Regulations governing the conduct of teachers should be strictly adhered to in ensuring that teachers conform to the professional ethics and norms in discharging their duties and responsibilities for which they have been employed.” Mr. Speaker, Sir, Recommendation No.20 says that the curricula be reviewed with an emphasis on reduction of subjects and content, for example, suggesting that English, Literature, Kiswahili and Fasihi should be separate subjects, and that the Government, progressively, moves to explore a new structure of education system to enhance specialisation and diversification in subject areas of choice and selection of careers by students, as recommended in the Koech Report. Recommendation No.22, which is on page 67, says that holiday tuition should be banned."
}