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{
    "id": 951364,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/951364/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 321,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wilson Sossion",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13171,
        "legal_name": "wilson sossion",
        "slug": "wilson-sossion"
    },
    "content": "qualifications to teach ECD. We have seen in the recent struggle between who to employ between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and counties. There have been different names assigned to teachers. When the county governments realised that the mandate was moving to the TSC, they changed names of ECD teachers to care-givers, babysitters and all manner of names. That is indignity. I believe that, upon the enactment of this Bill, the teacher teaching at ECD will be treated with dignity and recognised as a teacher. The second aspect that needs to be addressed is quality learning resources. That is another key factor. About 16 years down the line, since the rolling out of the free primary education, capitation is assigned to every child in primary and currently to every child at the secondary level. But in 2019, there is no capitation assigned for learning resources in ECD. This is a matter that needs to be addressed as we work on this Bill so that capitation is across the board should be sufficient for teaching and learning resources per child at the ECD level. The third aspect of quality ECD and education in general is quality infrastructure. We speak to this Bill at a time when we are smarting from a disaster that was uncalled for. Quality infrastructure at the ECD is a matter that needs to be addressed. This squarely rests with county governments to ensure that there are quality classrooms and other infrastructure in place. Finally, I wish to speak to the rights of teachers teaching at the ECD. There has been a big debate and even at this point, there is no law that is specific on who employs ECD teachers. I wish to submit that - and I hope it comes through an amendment so that it is clarified - the Constitution is very clear in terms of the TSC as an independent constitutional commission. As an independent constitutional commission, the assumption that it only serves the national Government is wrong. As an independent constitutional commission, it serves the nation, and, therefore, it should employ teachers from ECD to tertiary institutions and manage them. It is not enough for the TSC to exercise the role of registration and disciplining without employing. You cannot regulate an employee who is not under your ambit in law. Even as we support the Bill, we seek consensus across the board in the Senate, Council of Governors, this House and the nation at large to agree that it is only fair and reasonable that the people of Kenya are sufficiently funding the TSC. It should take the full responsibility of registering, employing and managing teachers at the ECD. I support the Bill and look forward to a very vibrant ECD that is properly managed. I believe that alongside this, we will have a clear national policy for early childhood education so that it can guide the operations of the sector. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}