Education PS Dr. Belio Kipsang has said that the government has invested heavily in improvement of school infrastructure countrywide in the last seven years.
He said due to the expansion of infrastructure through government funding, the county was able to undertake 100% transition policy where learners transit from primary school to secondary schools over the same period.
Speaking at Tenwek high school in Bomet County during the inspection tour on the resumption of learning after the nine months break due to covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Kipasang said that the government allocated Sh. 15 billion for infrastructural improvement in secondary schools during the financial year 2020/2021 and Sh. 2.6 billion for primary school in the same period.
“If the construction of a classroom at most costs Sh. 500,000 then per year this translates to 33,000 classes and if we do laboratories alone per year at the cost of sh1 million we will set up 15,000 of them,” he said.
He said that the government in collaboration with the World Bank will expand learning facilitates in Semi-Arid and Arid areas at the cost of Sh8.5 billion.
“We will be able to transit 1.5 million learners from primary schools to secondary school if school board of managements prudently used the resources availed to them by the national government,” he stated.
He commended Tenwek National school management for the proper use of infrastructural development funds in the expansion of the learning facilities from classrooms, laboratories and even playgrounds for various sporting activities.
On the resumption of learning, the PS said his ministry was working hand in hand with the ministry of interior to ensure that all learners report back to school.
He said that the county teams lead by the County Commissioners and other stakeholders will locate learners and enable them attend classes in cases of day schools and those in boarding school who are yet to report will equally be traced.
“I am happy for the Bomet team which has achieved over 90% in the resumption of learning in the county since they were able to trace children on child labour in the tea picking zone, those in boda boda businesses and teenage mothers,” he lauded them.
After staying home for many months most of the learners have been engaged in child labour including picking tea, boda boda business and the team was able contact parents through assistant chiefs and members of the community policing initiative.
Bomet County Commissioner Ms Susan Waweru said that the county team was working hard to trace all the girls who are presumed to be pregnant to know where they are so that the can be admitted back to school.
“In Bomet County we were able to trace the 150 girls with teenage pregnancies whose parents have been contacted by various schools to undergo counseling before they resume learning,” she said.
By Joseph Obwocha
