A delegation of 11 legislators from Zambia are in Kenya for a five-day visit to study the policy and legal foundations of free basic education that the government of Kenya is providing to children in schools.
The team is led by the Zambia Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Twaambo Elvis Mutinta, who met the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ezekiel Machogu, and the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, Director General for Education, Dr. Elyas Abdi and Senior education officials at the Ministry of Education headquarters, Jogoo House.
Mutinta lauded the free education programme offered by the government of Kenya as he cited that the Zambian government is a big fan of the Kenyan education model and his delegation wants to understand the policy, legal and financial frameworks under which the government provides free and compulsory education.
He said that Zambia is in the earliest stage of implementing free and compulsory education to be able to meet the 21st century needs for the country. As at now, about 8 million Zambian children are not in school and it is a priority for Zambia, Mutinta said, to see children have access to free and quality education.
Machogu on his side, said the provisions of free and compulsory education which is part of the Constitution promulgated in 2010, makes it criminal for parents and guardians who fail to present their children to school and the parents or guardians who deny their children the right to education can be charged by the court of law.
Further, the delegation sought to understand the impact and the challenges if any, of the provision of the free and compulsory education.
By Vostine Ratemo
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