Parents in Garissa county have been urged to take their children to school as most public schools record low student enrolment and poor class attendance, even as the government targets to implement the 100% transition policy.
While some attribute the low enrolment and turnout to the biting drought which has left thousands of residents in dire need of food, others attribute it to insecurity and migration of pastoralist families with their children in search of pasture and water for their livestock.
In efforts to avert the situation, Fafi MP Farah Salah Yakub has promised to buy school uniforms and pay school fees for students as an intervention to entice enrolment and retention of children in school.
Talking at a public baraza in Bura town, the MP said that improving security and boosting education by pushing for recruitment of more teachers was top priority in his maiden term.
He claimed that the constituency has generically stagnated in development of the education sector due to constant attacks from terrorists.
Yakub said that socioeconomic structures had also been adversely affected by the attackers who have destroyed nearly all telecommunication masts in areas near the border and have staged deadly IED attacks targeting security personnel.
“The deadliest attack was in 2019 when five non local teachers were killed at Kamuthe Primary School leading to a mass exodus of non-local teaching personnel from the county seriously affecting education in the whole region,” he said.
He however commended the security personnel for the stability being experienced in the area currently and expressed confidence that through a multi-agency approach, the education sector in the area will flourish again.
By Amoto Ndiewo
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