Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates at Matuguta Primary School in Githunguri Sub-County of Kiambu County are enjoying 70 desks donated through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).
During a tour of the school yesterday, KNA observed the candidates using the new furniture which was supplied to the school during the 9-month long holiday necessitated by Covid-19.
Mrs. Agnes Murage, the headteacher, said the desks had come in handy and that in line with Ministry of Health (MOH) protocols, they had assisted the pupils to observe social distance as everyone used their own. The school is one of the oldest in the Sub-County, having been constructed in 1956.
Mrs. Murage told KNA that the desks were being used by the candidates so that they could start practicing to sit alone in readiness for the national examination slated for March 2021.
Previously, 2 pupils used to share one book and this would not allow proper distance. If some pupil had not done their work, they had the temptation of copying from their deskmates, but the way these ones are, everyone has to be independent and complete their assignments accordingly.
Ms. Murage further assured the parents that the candidates had to date completed their syllabus and that they were ready to do the national examination.
“What our class 8 pupils are doing now is just revision as they completed the syllabus,” she said.
She added that the school was in dire need of more teachers as currently they only had 15, while one was working from home owing to directives given to those aged 58 and above.
Talking to KNA from her office yesterday, the director of education in Kiambu county Ms.Victoria Mulili said the delivery of the ESP desks as at January 29, 2021, stood at 100 per cent.
She noted that 13,580 had been delivered to the primary schools. while 10,050 had been dispatched to secondary schools in various parts of the County.
The director explained that all the primary schools in the Sub-Counties had received 1,050 desks, apart from Thika East, which received 980 and that those delivered to secondary schools varied depending on the population of the schools with Lari Sub-County getting 1,050 which was the highest and Thika East getting the least number of 400 desks from the government-funded program.
She exuded confidence in the students of Kiambu County, saying they were expected to excel in their national examinations but however, called on the parents to do their bit of properly parenting the children while at home
by Lydia Shiloya
