The Kwale County Deputy Governor (DG), Fatuma Achani has urged parents in the region to value the education of their children.
Achani lamented that parents in the area do not take secular education of their children seriously, a situation she said would perpetuate ignorance and backwardness.
She said it was through education that the youth could make a meaningful contribution to the socio-economic progress of the society.
The DG was speaking when she toured schools in Msambweni sub-county on Sunday accompanied by the county executive committee members, Silvia Chidodo (Public Service and Administration), Martin Kuya (Water), Hemed Mwabudzo (Roads) and Mangale Chiforomodo (Education).
Achani said formal education is critical in the fight against poverty, disease and social ills like drug and substance abuse among the youth.
She said its high time parents took the educational pursuits of their children seriously adding that through education communities can make a meaningful contribution to the social-economic development of the county and country at large.
The DG said residents should take the education of their children seriously noting that basic education from primary to the secondary level is compulsory.
Achani said people should take advantage of the ‘Elimu ni Sasa” initiative launched in 2013 by Governor Salim Mvurya to scale greater educational heights.
“We shall continue to sponsor students through Elimu ni sasa programme but all stakeholders, including parents and teachers have important roles to play,” she said.
She further said: “I also urge parents not to rush their school-going age daughters into early marriages which is unhealthy to their academic progress.”
The Education CEC, Mangale Chiforomodo revealed that the Elimu ni sasa initiative has since 2013 sponsored 5200 needy students in various secondary schools across the country.
By Hussein Abdullahi
