Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe has decried insufficient teachers in schools in the Western region and urged the government to see to it that more teachers are hired to plug the deficit.
Mugabe said that the teacher-to-student ratio in the region was unfair to learners when compared to distribution of teachers in other regions.
“The teacher-student ratio in Western, especially Kakamega and Bungoma is very bad. Kakamega has a shortage of over 4,000 teachers but if you go to other places such as Murang’a and Kiambu, some schools have excess teachers,” The MP stated.
The legislator asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to intervene and ensure equity in education among learners across the country.
He asked TSC to be proactive and employ the hundreds of trained teachers, who despite finishing training years ago, were still jobless.
Mugabe also lamented that schools in the region were being allocated less Infrastructure Development Funds from the Ministry compared to other regions.
“You cannot take the whole budget allocation and place it in on only a few counties and leave others out, especially those with numerous students. We must ask these questions so that our children here can also get an education that will help them progress in life,” he said.
The MP was speaking at Lwanda FAM Primary School where Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana launched a two-storey block that will host over 8 classrooms, a staff room and the Headteacher’s office.
Ikana called on leaders from the region to put aside their political differences and find ways to improve education standards and develop other sectors of the region.
“Problems being faced by supporters of either political affiliation are the same. Therefore we must have a conversation as leaders to find solutions to our problems and ensure that the living standards of our people are uplifted,” he said.
The legislator pledged his full support for education programmes throughout the constituency, noting that education was the best gift they could leave for children, who are the future leaders.
Ikana asked Principals in the constituency to allow Form 4 candidates to stay in class and revise for the forthcoming KCSE examinations despite having school fee balances.
“I have decided to pay school fees worth Ksh5,000 to all 2024 KCSE candidates. Their learning should not be interfered with at all,” he stated.
By Calistus Imbayi
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