By Education News Reporter
Education stakeholders in West Pokot County have called on the government to address insecurity and poverty among other challenges to improve the learning environment for children in the region.
Speaking on Friday to the press in Kapenguria, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) member representing Rift Valley Martin Sembelo said most schools along the West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet border have been adversely affected by the continued border conflicts.
He said that despite the introduction of free and compulsory primary education in 2013, Education sector in the county still faces many challenges
Mr Sembelo said many pupils and teachers along Turkwel belt and Kerio Valley had suffered due to border disputes with killings orchestrated by raiders who took advantage of the situation at the border.
“The frequent attacks have made many pupils to miss school regularly as parents have refused to allow them to go to school fearing their children might be attacked,” he said.
Sembelo, who is also the West Pokot Knut Executive secretary, asked the government to intervene and end the conflict to enable pupils to enjoy the fruits of free primary education.
Citing a shortage of 4000 teachers, he said among other challenges, lack of proper infrastructure, and lack of food, political interference female genital mutilation and early marriages need to be addressed.
“We urge leaders from the two communities to provide political goodwill to fast track demarcation of the boundary in a peaceful environment. The only way to bring peace between the two communities is by leaders coming together to solve the dispute to ensure that our people live together peacefully,” he said.
Sembelo asked the government to incorporate all schools in low lands in the county in the school feeding program and increase the food allocation to keep pupils in school.
“The program should be carried out in all schools in low lands to help retain children in schools. Schools that have the program there are many children in schools compared to others,” he said.
“Enrollment in these schools drops when the schools stop cooking food for the pupils,” added Sembelo.
He also observed that FGM and early marriage have affected girl child enrollment in the county.
“Enrollment of girls in lower classes is high compared to those in upper classes in the four sub counties,” he said.
He said that in low lands most parents have not valued education and they still practice the outdated vice and marry off their girls at early ages.
“There are some schools which have only two teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) serving eight classrooms,” he said.
“We had less than two hundred schools before the government introduced free primary education but now we have more than 600 schools,” said the KNUT official.
