Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 391711,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/391711/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "education officers, children officers and others in the county to see to it that this policy is fully implemented. We should make sure that the good policies we pass here are implemented at the county level. I also plead with all the stakeholders in the education sector to sit together and implement this policy. I know that some counties are already employing ECD teachers. This should be replicated in all other counties. It is important that the issue is looked into so that we avoid conflict among stakeholders. We all know that education is the right of every child in this country. We must strive to make sure that all children in our counties access education. We need to introduce mobile schools among the pastoralist communities. We know that pastoralists move from one area to another in search of pastures and water. When the family moves in search of pasture and water, many children drop out of school. So, it is important that we have mobile schools among the pastoralist communities so that their children continue with their studies as their parents look after their animals. This is something that can be replicated in the health sector and other important services to ensure that these communities are not left behind in getting these important services. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important to note that the other Senators who have spoken before me mentioned about the very needy students in our counties. I commend our Government because we have also put in place various measures to ensure that these children are actually in school. We know that we have bursaries through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) and also now through the county governments, but it is important also for our leadership, who actually disburse and manage these funds, to know that time is of the essence. We are getting so many children now who have to sit for their exams. They are telling us: “I do not have school fees and my cheque was written and it is at the CDF office.” We create a lot of unnecessary anxiety among those children who should be settling down right now to sit for their examinations. So, it is important for the leaders who take care of such funds to ensure that they provide for the needy students, so that they can spend enough time in school and concentrate on their studies. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are also other important Acts that we have in this country which also emphasize issues to do with education. There are some practices which are very retrogressive, especially amongst the pastoralist communities. For example, we have the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Many young girls will undergo FGM in December. By January, there will be no girl-children in schools because they will have been married off. I have also noted in schools that there are so many girls in Class One. But by the time they get to Class Four, the number will have dropped significantly. By the time they get to Class Eight, we will have only two girls sitting for exams. This is very unfortunate, especially given that we have a law in place. Our only problem with that law is implementation. Sometimes we generate laws to improve the wellbeing of some communities which for a very long time were not given the necessary attention by successive governments. However, these laws have never been implemented to benefit those communities. There are various things that needed to happen before some of those laws are implemented. For example, a board has to be established to operationalise those laws. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}