Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Belio Kipsang has said that the presence of parents in the lives of their children is the best cure for children’s attraction to drug abuse and truancy.
He said 97 percent and 72 percent of primary and secondary schools respectively were day schools, saying most learners in basic education were under the custodial care of their parents and guardians.
He expressed the need for parents to be more available in their children’s lives so that they could know them better and help nurture their growth and development.
Dr. Kipsang made the remarks when he chaired the public sector hearings for the 20024/25 financial year and Medium-Term Budget for the Education Sector at the Kenya Institute of Monetary Studies.
Present were the Principal Secretary for University Education and Research, Dr. Beatric Inyangala, the Principal Secretary for Technical, Vocational Education and Training, Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria and the Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Service Commission, (TSC), Dr. Nancy Macharia.
The Principal Secretary said the government commits about a third of the budget to Education, to address issues of access, equity, and quality of education at all levels of education.
Dr. Kipsang said Free Primary and Day Secondary Education has taken care of learners with special needs.
He said the government supports integrated schools admitting and supporting learners with special needs in regular schools. At the same time, it also supports learners with special needs living with severe disabilities in Special schools.
“The Ministry of Education will revamp Educational Assessment Resource Centers (EARC) in all the 47 Counties, to provide assessment of children with disabilities, and recommend placement that assures full integration into the school system,” said Dr. Kipsang.
Dr. Kipsang also said the budget allocation also took care of the school feeding programme of children in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASAL).
He said the government had increased allocation for the feeding programme from Shs.2 billion to Shs. 4.9 million, saying this will benefit more learners in the regions.
He said the national school feeding programme supports the Government’s goal of inclusive quality education for all children regardless of socioeconomic status or region.
Also present included Vice chancellors of public universities and senior officials from the Ministry of Education.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
