Fredrick Odiero
The Education Cabinet Secretary has reiterated the government’s commitment to the ongoing building of CBC classrooms across the country and has warned that students who cause destruction in public schools across the country will be firmly dealt with.
Magoha who was speaking at Obwolo Secondary School during a ground breaking ceremony for CBC classrooms revealed that the government had committed to constructing 10,000 classrooms as part of preparations for the competency based curriculum.
“The government is using 5.2 billion shillings and the remaining 8 billion shillings will be used in the second phase, the programme should be over by June next year.” He Said
Magoha also said the government had already released capitation funds to various schools and warned head teachers against sending students home for fees.
“Head teachers should be quite humane to poor students,” he said, adding that day school was free.
The CS said the country spends 29.9 % of its total budget on education.
He added that President Uhuru Kenyatta has assured that some 18,000 students from poor homes will fully benefit from Elimu Yetu scholarships.
“We will persuade his Excellency so that more students benefit from the same so that we do a further mop up” he said.
However Prof. Magoha warned that students who burn learning institutions will be treated as criminals and will face the full force of the law.
He said they will deal firmly with such errant students and encouraged school heads not to relent on that.
“Any student who burns a boarding house for that matter is a criminal. How else do you deal with a student who burns a boarding house?” he said.
The CS was also in support of students’ drug tests in schools like in the case of Maranda High school saying students must adhere to that norm.
He said it was a fact that some students take and sell drugs in some learning institutions.
The tough talking professor said parents should take control of their children so that they do not become errant.
He advised parents not to fall to the demands of their children.
“Our parents always demanded to know what we were doing when we were young, but nowadays do you do the same?” he posed.
