Budalangi Member of Parliament (MP) Raphael Wanjala and area NG-CDF committee have intensified calls urging parents to enroll their children in TVET institutions in large numbers to enable them to acquire technical skills and knowledge.
Apart from providing bursaries to needy students, the committee has been actively engaging in the construction of infrastructure in various institutions across the constituency to ensure availability of adequate classrooms to curb overcrowding of students.
Speaking after handing over bursary cheques totaling Ksh33 million to needy students through their respective school heads at Bunyala sub-county headquarters recently, Wanjala emphasized the significance of education saying NG-CDF committee will allocate more funds every financial year to cater for rising number of needy students.
The legislator and former teacher called upon beneficiaries to grab the golden chance and double their efforts to enable them achieve plausible grades in their national exams.
He said the committee is working together with the Ministry of Education under Secondary Education Quality Improvement Program (SEQIP) to undertake construction of infrastructure in schools to pave way for implementation of the 100 per cent transition policy.
Wanjala said his key objective is to ensure the constituency has adequate secondary and primary schools to save learners from trekking long distances to the neighbouring schools especially Alego-Usonga constituency in Siaya County.
He at the same time lauded secondary school heads and teachers in the sub county for working tirelessly to improve on the academic performance of their respective schools, adding that this financial year a total of 1,068 students had been issued with bursaries to enable them join university.
According to the bursary data for the financial year 2022/2023 availed to Education News, Budalangi NG-CDF committee had approved and disbursed Ksh22.5 million for secondary schools, with special schools bagging Ksh1.5 million out of Ksh33 million.
Out of 8,000 applicants, over 6,000 who joined local secondary schools received Ksh21.7 million whereas 168 applicants in national schools received Ksh0.8 million and 1,046 applicants joining colleges got Ksh3.6 million.
The bursary data further showed that Bunyala North ward got the lion’s share to the tune of Ksh11 million divided among 2,000 applicants in all levels of education.
Bunyala West ward benefited from Ksh9.6 million given out to over 2,000 bursary applicants took at position two whereas Bunyala South ward, a place that has a history of persistent flooding was third after the CDF committee approved and disbursed Ksh6.8 million.
The flood prone zone shocked education stakeholders after it managed to produce 249 students who attained direct university entry.
Bunyala Central ward received bursary funds totaling Ksh4.4 million for over a thousand students.
Bunyala Sub County Director of Education (SCDE) Mr. George Owuoche lauded Wanjala and the committee for supporting needy students through the bursaries.
He urged secondary school principals to stop sending students away to collect school fees at a time when they are expected to be in school, warning that stern disciplinary action would be taken against them.
“This habit of sending students back home to collect school fees at the expense of education should cease with immediate effect,” said the senior education official.
He said school principals should dialogue with parents of affected students and agree on a formula to pay outstanding fee balances.
By Gilbert Ochieng
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