The growing number of school-going children who have failed to report back to school due to parents’ financial hardships has sparked concern, with former Konoin Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Julius Kones terming the situation a national crisis that demands urgent attention.
Speaking during community engagements in Konoin Sub-county, Dr Kones said he had personally encountered distressed parents struggling to raise school fees, buy uniforms and meet other basic education-related costs.
He warned that unless immediate interventions are put in place, thousands of children risk dropping out of school permanently.
“This is not just a family problem; it is a national emergency,” Dr Kones said.
He added:“I have met parents who are desperately scrambling for any means to keep their children in school. The pain and anxiety they are going through is heartbreaking.”
Dr Kones noted that the rising cost of living, job losses and reduced household incomes have significantly weakened families’ ability to support their children’s education.
The former lawmaker added that the situation is more severe in rural and informal settlement areas, where many households rely on subsistence farming and casual labour.
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He called on the national government, county governments, and education stakeholders to urgently scale up bursary allocations, expand school feeding programmes, and ensure timely disbursement of capitation funds to learning institutions.
According to Dr Kones, such measures would help ease the burden on parents and encourage affected learners to return to school.
“No child should be denied an education because of poverty,” he emphasized. “Education is a constitutional right and the most powerful tool we have to break the cycle of poverty.”
The former legislator also urged well-wishers, faith-based organizations and the private sector to complement government efforts by supporting vulnerable learners through scholarships and donations.
As schools continue with the new term, education experts warn that prolonged absenteeism could lead to increased child labour, early marriages and other social challenges if decisive action is not taken promptly.
By Philip Koech
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