Stakeholders in the education sector in Turkana County on Tuesday rolled out an aggressive campaign to ensure all pupils and students return to school.
Feed the Future, Kenya Livestock Market Systems, Mercy corps and the County Government’s Ministry of Education, Sports and Social protection rolled out back to school campaigns to complement the national government’s return-to school-efforts.
Representatives from these organizations on Tuesday embarked on a week-long stakeholder meetings in three sub-counties of Turkana North, Turkana West and Turkana central.
The stakeholders who included representatives from ward and sub-county administrators, area chiefs and sub-county directors of education were also requested to spread information on the current January 2021 intake at vocational training centres across the county.
The first three meetings took place at the respective sub-county headquarters on Tuesday, while roadshows and door to door sensitization started today (Wednesday).
Speaking in one of the meetings in Lodwar, the chief officer in charge of education Pauline Lokuruka said that education was facing a major challenge in Turkana due to low enrollment and failure by pupils to return to school after long periods of closure due to Covid 19 pandemic.
Lokuruka said, “the two categories of educational institutions under the county including ECDE centres and vocational training centres of the county are also obliged to record 100% return to school following the re-opening of schools.”
The chief officer noted that more than 50 youth in Turkana had already benefitted from the vocational training program courtesy of scholarships supported by Tullow oil, KCB foundation, Toyota Kenya and others.
Turkana central sub county has recorded 79% return to school across the 87 primary schools, 20 secondary and 2 vocational training centres.
By Peter Gitonga
