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{
    "id": 53827,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/53827/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 475,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ruteere",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 92,
        "legal_name": "Silas Muriuki Ruteere",
        "slug": "silas-ruteere"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this very important Motion, which I support. Since the start of the free primary and free secondary education, the enrolment in our schools has improved. We have realized that with the start of day secondary schools, many children who would otherwise not have got the opportunity to transit to secondary schools are going to school these days. However, we realize that we have many orphaned children in our society. We have a lot of poverty in our society. Some parents have more than three or four children in secondary schools, yet their income cannot even meet the basic needs of one child. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is time the Government thought about the poor. The poor children may have parents, but they cannot meet their needs. It is time we do not just concentrate on the orphaned children. The criteria given for the bursary funds that are channeled to constituencies and districts favour the orphaned almost 100 per cent, especially in situations where we have many orphans. I would urge that the population of the needy be looked into when channeling these funds to the constituencies. In my constituency, last time I got Kshs1.2 million. This did not meet the needs of even half of those who needed the money for bursaries. Many students were left crying. When we went to the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), there were so many students in universities and tertiary institutions, and because of the size of the constituency we could not meet their needs. So, it is time that these funds are increased, so that the poor are taken care of. Unless we address ourselves to the plight of the poor right now, we will have more people demonstrating on the streets, wanting to have food. This is because they are not able to transit to institutions of higher learning. They will not be able to complete their studies. We have seen that in some situations it is the bright children who are always sent home. They are the ones always told to go and get fees. We know, as has been said, schools are supposed to ask for fees to pay teachers. This is because there are no teachers. In primary schools when there is a shortage of teachers, parents must come in and hire teachers. The issue of free primary education then becomes meaningless. In day secondary schools, the Government registers the school, gives the principal and sometimes the deputy. The rest of the teachers are then employed by the parents. The free secondary education then also becomes meaningless. So, if a school has been registered it should be taken over entirely by the Government. All the teachers must be provided by the Government. It is upon the Minister for Education to make sure that they employ enough teachers, if we are to have good standards of education. I beg to support."
}