Spot check by the Star shows that a number of the nursery school pupils at the 21st century still persevere the chocking sun as they learn outside under trees while seated on stones.
“My ECDE pupils are congested in one modern classroom constructed by the county government way back in 2014 but their major problem is still lack of desks so they are forced to arrange some stones to seat on” Riongo Primary school head teacher Collins Kesses told star on Thursday.
Similar situation occurs in among several others Kadokoi and Katuit primary schools in Tiaty Sub-county where the school head teachers said has forced many young kids to drop out of school.
“We had about 100 ECD children in 2015 but since then due to poor learning condition and cutoff school feeding programme a number of them opted quitting classes, until we are now remaining with only 30 kids” Kadokoi head Dorcas Yatich said.
She further said the mud-floor classroom was poorly constructed by the county in 2014, posing health risks to the children, adding that she is yet to receive the chairs and tables earmarked since then to be donated.
The county boasts a total of 1049 ECDE centres with a total of 46,446 learners, majority of them were forced to take their learning under the trees or the modern structures while seated on stones.
The worst hit sub-counties being Baringo North, Mogotio, Baringo South, and Tiaty.
County Education Executive Thomas Ole Lonongo’nop said it remains a wish of the county government to improve the quality of the ECD centres but he admitted the snail-pace blaming it on tiny budgetary allocation.
“Sh10million was allocated in 2016-2017 while another sh5million was budgeted in the current 2018-2019 to purchase furniture for both the learners and teachers” Lonongo’nop said
He said the county managed to construct only a total of 600 ECDE classrooms and they are now embarking on equipping them with learning materials, books, chairs and tables, “although progressively due to insufficient funds”.
Ole Lonongo’nop further said the sh15million funds allocation so far aided purchase of furniture to benefit paltry 3,980 ECD learners out of total 46,446 learners.
Speaking while handing over some furniture at Kapropita primary school in Baringo Central sub-county on Thursday, County Deputy Governor Jacob Chepkwony admitted myriad of challenges facing the county ECD department
Chepkwony said apart from poor learning condition the 1,776 nursery school teachers hired by the county government were crying low salary payment.
“We hope the ongoing talks of the council of governors and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) shall soon go through to enhance better pact for the teachers” He said.
He urged among the stakeholders the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) to intervene to fast track the talks.
-JOSEPH KANGOGO