The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have been called upon to allocate more teachers to Bungoma County and the wider western region in their future recruitment drives.
Speaking during a prayer service for KCPE candidates held at Bungoma DEB Primary School, the Executive Branch Secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) of Bungoma Ken Nganga highlighted the pressing need for additional teachers in the region, where a shortage of 3,000 teachers persists due to the high number of students.
“Despite the government’s employment of 50,000 tutors, more budgetary allocation is required to facilitate the recruitment of additional educators in the region,” Nganga stated.
He also criticized the government for what he termed as double deductions from teachers’ pay, affecting their already committed loans.
“These deductions pertain to health insurance contributions to both NHIF and AON MINET Health covers, as well as National Social Security Fund (NSSF) remittances,” the Executive Secretary argued.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula emphasized the importance of inclusive education, particularly focusing on the education of boys, as the current society has predominantly prioritized the girl child’s education.
Additionally, the Members of Parliament, John Makali of Kanduyi and Majimbo Kalasinga of Kabuchai, called on the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to ensure a fair marking system that accurately reflects candidates’ grades and earned marks, addressing concerns of cheating allegations.
During the event, approximately 9.5 million Kenyan Shillings were raised for the construction of more classrooms and additional facilities, including sanitation blocks.
Makali contributed Ksh. 3 million from the NG-CDF Kitty, while Wetangula donated Ksh. 1 million in cash.
The Head Teacher Tobias Khisa, Deputy Head Teacher Robert Simiyu, and the chairman of Board of Management Dan Malabe, urged local leaders to assist the school in acquiring more land for its infrastructural development.
The Principal further highlighted that the school with a student population of 4,800, is the second-largest public primary school in the country, following Olympic Primary School in Kibra Constituency, Nairobi County.
He noted that they have 483 candidates for the KCPE 2023.
By Achola Bulimo Mathews
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
