Education stakeholders from Busia county recently met to come up with strategies that will help the county improve its academic standards.
Speaking during an education stakeholders forum held at Farm View Resort in Busia town, Governor Paul Otuoma noted that his administration would make concerted efforts to invite top scholars to brainstorm on the possible remedies that would make the county rise back to high academic levels.
During the event, the governor launched a Ksh127.1 million education bursary programme aimed at ensuring needy students from the county continue to pursue education.
In a joint communiqué signed by Dr Paul Otuoma, the education stakeholders unanimously resolved to fully embrace and implement the resolutions agreed upon in the forum.
They agreed to start countrywide discussions on education quality standards and devolve the forums to sub counties and ward levels.
They also agreed to work together to ensure coordination and implementation of efforts to effect improvement in the education sector in the border county.
The forum also agreed to ensure school managers adopt the best practices in managing schools and encouraging good performance.
Kapsabet Boys Chief Principal Kipchuma Maiyo said to achieve success, schools need to set targets, sensitize the community on the importance of educate, have tailored mentorship programmes for students and check on drugs and substance abuse among students.
He also urged schools to benchmark with best performing schools and have training and capacity building sessions for teachers.
Kiminini Girls Chief Principal Violate Lukorito pointed out that for any learning institution to achieve academic excellence, it should have God-fearing and hardworking students, motivate the teachers and students, reward teachers and students for their good performance and conduct regular tests for the learners.
Private Schools Association Chairman David Parapara Karani agreed with stakeholders’ concerns that poverty is the elephant in the house that needs urgent surgery so as to redeem the county’s academic image.
Karani, who is also the Angurai East Member of County Assembly, noted that the high poverty levels can be eradicated by embracing agriculture.
He called upon teachers both in public and private learning institutions in the county to be dedicated to their work if they want their respective schools to improve on their academic performance in the national exams.
He added that the exemplary academic performance of private schools was due to the fact that teachers at the said schools are always being motivated.
“Learners in private schools are also well fed, a factor that contributes to good performance,” he noted, further stating that private schools have good facilities that promote both academic and co-curricular activities.
By Gilbert Ochieng’
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