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{
    "id": 562248,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/562248/?format=api",
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    "content": "somebody had slapped her. I knew her to be a very obedient child. I checked with the teacher only to realise that there was some sort of bias towards my child and I said, next time let me know. If you want to do something, you can do it on her “behind” because somebody can turn accidentally and the next thing is that you have a child going blind. So, it is a serious affair that when parents take their child to school, they do so knowing that their children will be safe. That safety has to be ensured. If there is a problem of discipline, then parents need to be informed. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, one of the things that happen more often is the issue of emotional and psychological abuse. Recently, there was a case in the newspapers of a child who had been psychologically abused by teachers who kept calling her names and punishing her over the same reasons that she had been punished before. Therefore, it is important that this Bill not only talks about the physical abuse, but also the emotional and psychological abuse and tries to find ways to ensure that the child is protected from this mischief. We should not have a situation where we have rogue teachers. I think we have realized over time that the situation has changed especially in matters education. There are very many people who have trained to become teachers and yet they were not focused to become teachers. This Bill stresses on particular key components. It stresses on the issue of quality education at the ECDE level. It stresses on the issue of control to ensure that whatever measures that have been put in place have been followed through. It addresses the issue of inequality to ensure that it does not have an effect on children who are too young to understand what is going on, so that they can support themselves. This should be done in a very structured way. The whole issue of quality is handled at the lower level in terms of the hierarchy, the class room level and at the ECD centre itself. The ECDE centre should have systems put in place, for example, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) and feeding programmes that will ensure that the child is well nurtured. We can then move to the level of the county where county boards should be put in place so that they can effectively look at the challenges facing the various schools. They should take care of registration of these institutions so that we do not have education centres spiraling all over without being registered appropriately. The Act will ensure that quality programmes are run in schools. At the national level, we have the Cabinet Secretary in charge of ECDs being responsible to ensure that all these regulations are effected. I think once this Bill becomes an Act, then our children are going to be safe and happier. I think they will begin to enjoy education. I beg to move and request Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo to second the Bill."
}