The Government is set to distribute food worth Kshs.2.7billion to learners in schools in 26 Counties in Arid and Semi-arid (ASAL) areas in the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary for Ezekiel Machogu says the disbursement is aimed at ensuring enrollment, retention of learners’ school, as well as improving learning outcomes.
He said the Ministry was working with development partners to provide additional food stocks to boost what the government has already provided from its budgetary allocations.
The Education CS says terms as critical the availability of food in schools in ASAL areas, which suffer from prolonged drought, since it attracts and keeps children in school, thereby enabling them to learn comfortably.
Machogu made the remarks when he received UNICEF Country Representative in Kenya, Shaheen Nilofer in his office Wednesday.
Present was the Principal Secretary for the State Departments of University Education & Research, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary for Vocational and Technical Training, Dr. Esther Muoria and the Director General, Dr. Elyas Abdi.
Machogu thanked UNICEF for the partnership it has had for many years, with Kenya on matters affecting children.
He said UNICEF has supported Kenya in steering reforms in basic Education on many fronts.
The CS named Competence Based Curriculum, facilitating children access to and retention in school, provision of sanitary pads to school going girls, teacher capacity development, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project in schools among others, as areas UNICEF has supported Kenya in her education reform process.
Nilofer thanked Kenya for the education reforms it was undertaking, saying the reforms will better prepare learners for the 21st century.
She thanked Kenya for the training and recruitment of teachers especially for schools in ASAL areas.
“You cannot talk about learning outcomes without qualified teachers,” Shaheen noted.
Dr. Inyangala expressed the need for UNICEF to strengthen the teachers’ capacity to support CBC reforms by reskilling them.
Although University Education is outside the mandate of UNICEF, Dr. Inyangala nevertheless asked the Country Representative to support the realignment of the Bachelor of Education programmes to the Competence Based Curriculum requirements in order to make the implementation of CBC a success
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