By Sammy Njagi
Laws allowing bars to open earlier than 5pm which were enacted by the county assembly contribute to Embu County schools exams’ poor performance.
A forum to discuss the causes of poor performance of education held at Kangaru School in Embu Town was recently told that a law that controls consumption and sale of alcohol which permits bars to open from 2pm has negatively implemented performance in the county.
Embu West Sub-county Deputy Commissioner Caroline Imaya lamented that this law has been greatly contributing to dismal performance of education in the county because some civil servants including teachers engage in alcohol drinking too early than the national law stipulates.
She said this posed a challenge in the county and that the county Commissioner’s office is engaging the county government in dialogue to see how the law can be harmonized with the one enacted by the National Assembly.
Imaya said it has been difficult to deal with the issue owing to the law that was enacted two years ago by the county assembly and which should be superseded by the Mututho Law on the alcoholic drinks control sale and consumption.
During the meeting Eastern Region Co-ordinator of Education Margaret Lesuuda said that there were head teachers and secondary schools’ principals who regularly absent themselves from schools.
She said such behavior have been greatly affecting exam performance in eastern region’s schools where most of schools scored less than a mean score of four in KCSE last year .
Lesuuda said her office will be very harsh on any head teacher caught absenting himself from school without a good reason.
The forum also heard that muguka, type of miraa grown in Embu contributes a lot in the miserable performance of education in the county and that it affects teachers who chew it.
