Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits.
The constitution of Kenya, 2010 prominently recognizes this right – Article 43 (1) (f). Section 3 of the Education Act tasks the Minister for Education with ensuring a development plan (policy) consistent with any national plan for economic and social development of Kenya. The Ministry of Education’s vision is ‘to provide, promote and co-ordinate lifelong education, training and research for Kenya’s sustainable development. To focus on priority areas within overall education goals……’ The Teachers Service Commission currently established under in the Constitution (Article 237) and the TSC Act whose Section 4 mandates the TSC to establish and maintain a teachers service adequate to the needs of public schools in Kenya, and for that purpose the Commission shall have power - (a) to recruit and employ registered teachers….
Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty.
Deprivation in this case would mean but would not be limited to the following; a complete lack of education facilities, few and sparsely distributed education facilities, a lack of quality education facilities, education that is too expensive for indigent in society, understaffing of teachers at the existing education facilities or lack of adequately qualified teachers at these education facilities. Indeed, a deprivation/ violation of especially children’s right to education either as a result of the above named or simply poor government policies is a serious crime against any countries future generation.
Poor policies on education are an overt discrimination of the poor in society, reason being; children of the rich will always be in school as a result of having paid huge fees in private schools. Public schools mainly meant for the bulk of the population – the poor and middle class stand to always suffer in the event of poor government policies. Education is a powerful tool by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully as citizens.
I wouldn’t be wrong, therefore, to say that poor educational policies equal a continuous cycle of illiteracy and hence poverty and a disempowered citizenry. Only dictatorships and autocratic regimes thrive and enjoy this kind of situation. No state that regards itself as a democratic one, would want to associate itself with a largely illiterate and voiceless populace. Nothing is worse than turning such a fundamental right into a privilege.
Kenya’s education woes are well articulated here and I will therefore not belabor. On Tuesday, over 200, 000 teachers went on strike citing the government’s obstinate refusal to increase the number of teachers to correspond with the rapidly swelling number of pupils/students in schools across the country, and even worse, diverting funds recommended by the parliamentary committee on education to treasury, and reallocation to the Ministry of Defence – which is makes a lot of sense because then they can continue with the unofficial government policy to recruit soldiers with little or no education!
A justified cause by the teachers which I fully support, but a sad situation for the over 10 Million primary and Secondary School children who stand to suffer as a result of the deadlock and worse still – the thousands of candidates preparing for both their final primary and secondary school exams.
The government has responded by decrying the unreasonable demands of the teachers to hire approximately 24,000 new teachers many permanently and the rest on contract basis. The government claims that there are currently no funds to do so.
But honestly, could this problem have been averted? Did the government see this coming or did it stick its head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich leaving the rest of us to see this looming quagmire? The teachers – this time in a selfless move – are not on the street for an increase of their salary, but rather for the children, whom they claim, are not getting equal opportunities and their poor parents who have to struggle to guarantee quality education… a noble cause indeed, and very much appreciated by Kenyans of good will… of course excluding government.
Did the Ministry of Defence even request for an increase in its allocation??……NO!
This coupled with the recent education scandal which I have had the honour of discussing here before, are a clear acknowledgment of the government’s total disdain for this country’s future.
It is time for this government – with almost ‘a million’ presidential hopefuls to prove that it is worth its salt lest they suffer the curse and derision from future generations. You want to be president? Then start now and prove that you are a supporter of the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, or face the peoples’ wrath…. Kenyans are watching!
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