Stakeholders in Kitui County Monday presented their recommendations to Education Reform Task Force formed by President William Ruto to collect views on issues affecting the sector.
The stakeholders, led by Kitui Governor Dr Julius Malombe raised several pertinent concerns as well recommendations to the task force.
Speaking during the forum held at Kitui School, Malombe called for total funding of the ECDE, Primary and Secondary education by government as most parents are economically challenged to support education of their children.
He said to the team led by Dr. Halima Saado, “Government should introduced a levy to finance education, especially at the lower level, where those who are employed can be deducted at least 3% of their salary and the money be dedicated to the fund.
He also called for alignment of courses offered in colleges with the job market, noting it was the only sure way to make social-economic development progress in the country.
He recommended that the education system be aligned with the current technological trends in the way Curriculum Based Curriculum strived to achieve in giving learners life skills applicable in the current world.
The governor reminded the national government that as much as Kitui is listed as an ASAL county by National Drought and Management Authority, the teaching staff are not treated as such noting they are not paid hardship allowance like in other similar areas.
“Kitui is a gazzetted ASAL county but in the education sector it is yet to be listed and the teachers are passing through hard times here. They should be treated as others in hardship areas, of which Kitui is one,” he added.
Other stakeholders who also presented their views included the Principal, Kitui Teachers Training College Catherine Irungu.
Irungu recommended for value-based education system with well trained teachers that is already in the current CBC education system.
The Presidential Working Party on Education reforms taskforce led by Prof. Raphael Munavu was formed to tackle the issues bedeviling Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) to help find the way forward.
