In a bid to lift education standards, thousands of students in Embu County are being guided and mentored on how to study and select various careers based on the subjects they choose to pursue in their formative ages, professionals the County have said.
Initially, the professionals recorded their dismay at the poor performance of learners in the recent past examinations but intervention have been intensified to improve the Kenya certificates of primary and secondary school examination performances.
Through explicit motivation and career guidance campaign forums targeting learners at all levels now in their fifth year which incorporate all key departments in the county and national government, successes are already being recorded in helping learners improve grades and access careers.
When the professionals initially held consultations with the County Director of Education it emerged that there were deep concerns over rampant cases of drug abuse and dropout partly blamed on early pregnancies among learners.
Other drawbacks which indirectly impacted education and the general social well-being of learners at family levels were an emerging individualistic culture which undermined collective efforts to resolve common challenges.
Rampant land disputes that often culminated into court cases, violent conflicts and sometimes murders are also common hitches for career progression.
The professionals are drawn from government-impeded education and development.
Latest reports from the Embu County Professionals Development Association (ACPDA) indicate how thousands of students in schools, colleges and universities across the County have benefitted.
The latest three forums attracted more than 3,000 students from Mbeere South and Manyatta constituencies, but across the entire County, learners have on one or several occasions been mobilised to listen to motivational professional speakers at institutional or regionally coordinated forums.
Edward Kobuthi explained that right from the onset professionals in the County interacted with key departments while appreciating that elevation of education levels remained the pillar of the county’s all-round future development.
“We consider education to be the pillar in the development of Embu County and we are determined to bring all professionals abound in improving education standards which will eventually shape the future development of the County’’, said the chairman.
Added Dr Kobuthi, ‘’previous KCSE and KCPE results had not been encouraging and we have developed a platform for motivating and mentoring students in a bid to have an input in the important of academic standards.’’
The County Director of Education, Dr. Kobuthi explained has agreed to always volunteer to provide baseline information on the performances in examinations to the professionals to ease partnerships in monitoring and evaluation of ECPDA intervention impacts.
While the director links the professionals with heads of schools targeted for visits with the ECPDA, Dr Kobuthi assures that ‘’it had also been agreed that periodic meetings to review experiences and lessons would be held.’’
The chairman explains that professionals drawn from different parts of Embu were being encouraged to link up with schools where they studied and initiate their own programs to provide home-based motivation and career guidance in secondary and primary schools.
The ECPDA team according to Dr. Kobuthi explained did not merely organise career guidance and motivation forums for their sake but had launched means to monitor successes with the aim to gauge whether beneficiaries achieved targeted goals.
He said that the education and career initiative remained a long-term effort and depending on the availability of support from stakeholders from who collaboration and consultations are frequently sought, the same is being scaled up to cover as many schools as possible.
By Robert Nyagah
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