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"id": 328685,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/328685/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. M. Kilonzo",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 47,
"legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the country and the education sector have also been globalizing, where the world community is now virtual. As a result, the education sector is expected to respond to globalization in several ways:- 1. The education system must be of such a high standard that Kenya becomes a destination of choice for those pursuing quality education and training; 2. The product of the system must be competitive to fit in the national, regional and global needs; 3. Our Children should no longer merely be taught content, as the idea in the modern world in the 21st Century is to teach our children to have that capacity to ask questions, the ability to confront what they are told so that even if somebody says, “it is now three clock”, the children of Kenya should turn around and say, “sir, please, prove it”, because that is the only way to encourage modern development, research and light. Therefore, the current situation and the challenges within the education sector face constraints in access, equity, quality and relevance. For example, despite the increased enrolment at both primary and secondary levels, as a result of free primary education and free day secondary, about 1.9 million children are still out of school. This is an unacceptable situation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, transition rate from primary to secondary is currently at 73 per cent, yet the country is a signatory to international conventions, for example, the one I have mentioned; Education for All and the Universal Primary Education and Millennium Goals. The situation is so intolerable and so unacceptable to those who know that we have worked day and night in the Ministry to bring this proposed law in front of this House and to the country. The existing Education Act does not even address itself effectively to issues of governance at the institutional, county and national level, to fit within the demands of a devolved system of Government. I am sure all of us have noticed the enormous challenges of students burning dormitories and classrooms and yet dormitories do not talk, dormitories cannot hurt you; dormitories are merely a symptom of the challenges the school faces. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the current law does not also clearly provide for investment in education, especially the critical role of the public, Government and private sector. The Act does not adopt a constitutional approach to education provision in relation to the rights of the disadvantaged, marginalized, people with special needs and gender needs as required under the Kenyan Constitution. I am proud to inform the House that I have now released to the hon. Attorney- General, the Kenya Law Reform Commission and Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) a draft law catering for learners with learning disabilities and I will be presenting it to this House very soon. Similarly, the existing Education Act is silent on adult and continuing education as well as alternative provisions of basic education. The current Education Act does not address itself to the contemporary methods and nature of quality assurance and standards, especially in relation to standardizing monitoring and evaluation, capacity building of the personnel and strengthening the co-ordination of quality assurance processes. The current education does not adequately take into cognisance the need for regular curricula reviews in line with the dynamic nature of the country’s social and political, as well as economic environment. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, therefore, I come to this House in confidence to present new proposals for management of education because the country is now under 2010 Constitution and the current Act does not carry the spirit of the Constitution. In particular, you will recall that the retired Constitution which generated the 1968 Act did not mention the word “education” anywhere from corner to corner, from top to bottom, yet the new Constitution in the Bill of Rights, now talks about education in Article 43, 44, 53, 55, 56 and 57. Therefore, a rethinking is necessary. A rethinking is necessary. The guiding principles of the Bill I am presenting this afternoon----, if you look at Part I particularly clauses 27 and 28, you will realize that this is the first time in the continent of Africa for a Bill to contain the words, “The right of every child to free and compulsory basic education.” This is a complete departure from the past and it is driven by Article 53 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. I encourage Members to look at these clauses and enrich them by further contribution and amendments, if necessary, or even additional fertilization, so that we can bring out this very aspect of Article 53 on the right to free and compulsory basic education. Part I, particularly clause 4 deals with equitable access for youth to basic education and we also have equal access to education and institutions. Here, I am thinking of the so-called informal schools in our slums and the challenges that you find in areas otherwise known as pastoral areas where you find that parents are following pasture and the children do not have access to education. The time to rectify this is now. In Part IX, you will find Clause 62, promotion of quality and relevance and then accountability and democratic decision-making within institutions of basic education. We have also included, if you look at Clauses 29 up to Clause 38 advancement and protection of the child. We are also talking of encouraging independent and critical thinking, that is, cultivating skills, innovativeness, invention, technological transfers, entrepreneurship and above all, curiosity. Our children must be trained in institutions where curiosity is the primary guiding principle as opposed to just 1 + 1 = 2. This is because you have noticed some of them end up saying that 1+1 = 11, or they might not even be able to write the 1. You also find human dignity, gender parity, promotion of good governance, participation of parents, communities, the private sector and other stakeholders. I must admit that I have already been requested by people calling themselves “The Complementary Education Schools”. They run schools in slum areas. I will be sharing this with the House at a later hour, particularly during the Third Reading, my ideas as to how best we can make sure that each Kenyan child is a Kenyan child; no child is for the slum and no child is for the rich. Therefore, in these clauses you will find those principles and so on. It is a Bill I speak on with confidence. It is also fair that I say that I have received presentations from sponsors of schools such as churches and other organizations. I dare say that this House should listen to them, so that ultimately when we finalize with the definition of sponsors, it is a broad spectrum definition and not something targeting one small group, or one organization so that they also feel a sense of ownership. I will also be recommending to this House that we also define parents associations so that they are also given a sense of ownership of schools. I am going further to define the principal of a school and the head of a school, so that they can also take responsibility for the enormous resources that the country is giving to schools from day to day. In the process, I will be demanding that they also offer accountability for the resources. That accountability can only come if we recognize them in the Bill itself."
}