Principals of Catholic-sponsored secondary schools in the Catholic Diocese of Kitale yesterday held a Thanksgiving Mass and their Annual General Meeting (AGM), expressing gratitude for last year’s achievements while outlining key challenges facing institutions under their stewardship.
The Mass was presided over by Bishop Henry Juma Odonya, assisted by Bishop Emeritus Maurice Anthony Crowley and the Diocesan Education Secretary Paul Sunguti.
In his homily, Bishop Odonya lauded the principals for their leadership and commitment to sustaining academic standards in Catholic-sponsored schools. He urged them to maintain unity, resilience and a spirit of service despite mounting pressures within the education sector.
The bishop commended schools for strong academic and co-curricular performance, attributing the success to collaborative efforts among administrators, teachers, boards of management and parents.
He also acknowledged the foundational role played by Bishop Emeritus Crowley in strengthening education structures within the diocese during his tenure.
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Addressing the principals, Bishop Emeritus Crowley called for sustained focus on quality education to ensure Catholic schools continue to excel. He challenged school heads to critically evaluate and fully embrace the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, urging them to guide learners effectively through the transition.
During the AGM deliberations, principals cited several operational challenges, including frequent teacher transfers under the delocalisation policy, inadequate government capitation and delayed disbursements. They also pointed to shortages of teaching and learning materials, particularly those required for the effective implementation of the CBE framework.
The principals appealed to the diocesan leadership to engage the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops in structured dialogue with the government to address funding gaps and policy concerns affecting Catholic-sponsored institutions.
In his remarks, Fr Sunguti commended the school heads for their cooperation with the Church and called for deeper collaboration, particularly during the Lenten season. He urged schools to actively involve learners in charitable initiatives and spiritual formation programmes.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by the Catholic Schools Principals Association (CaSPA) to strengthen unity among members and to advance holistic education anchored on academic excellence, discipline and faith-based values across Catholic-sponsored schools in Kitale Diocese.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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