Mororo Township residents in Salah ward, Tana River County have decried the lack of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres in the area.
Mohamed Abdi Mukabwa, a resident, said that the lack of a public ECDE centre in the township is a great disservice to children.
He regretted that there are only 349 public ECDE centres within the county which hosts 315,953 people.
“Amongst Sala ward’s sub-locations, it is only Mororo which is the most populated that doesn’t have a public ECDE centre. Those keen on taking their children for ECDE education have long distances to walk. It’s either Police Line Kindergarten two kilometres away in Garissa town or Madogo which is five kilometres away,” said Mohamed Lokha, another resident.
He noted that nearby Hatata Primary school, within Mororo vicinity has a paltry enrolment of 494 pupils, 265 being girls.
Educationist Abdirashid Muktar stressed on the importance of early childhood education saying that children need it to learn how to gain social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.
“The children also embark in pre-listening, pre-writing and pre-maths skills and activities,” he added.
However, he accused parents of being less interested in the education of their children and developing a hands-off approach towards nurturing their children.
“Unfortunately, kids become streetwise too early, fending for themselves before their tenth birthday,” another resident, Florence Musomba, said.
She added, “Boys under ten years scavenge for garbage in Garissa town, while some girls meddle in housework in the same town as others peddle flesh in Mororo because their unemployed parents leave them to fend for themselves at a very tender age.”
Tana River County Commissioner Omar Beja blamed this on parental disinterest in education and urged them to take their parental role seriously in order to secure their children’s future.
By Amoto Ndiewo
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