Nakuru County embarks on revamping ECDE learning

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui (left) distributes desks to ECDE centres in Gilgil on May 10, 2019. His administration has embarked on a campaign to give a new lease of life to early childhood education in the county and employ more ECDE teachers. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The county government plans to allocate Sh524 million to ECDE centres in the next financial year.
  • It has also allocated Sh81 million for hiring of ECDE teachers in the 2018/2019 financial year.
  • Building of new classrooms and renovation of old ones will be done in all sub-counties.
  • The county has already employed 266 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms

The Nakuru County government has launched an ambitious campaign to increase enrolment in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in the region.

The county government plans to allocate Sh524 million to ECDE centres in the next financial year.

Majority of the centres, which are critical in the education sector, had been abandoned by the previous regime and are in a poor state, with muddy walls, dusty floors and with no doors or windows.

Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration has embarked on a campaign to give a new lease of life to the early childhood education and employ more ECDE teachers.

HIRE TEACHERS

Already, the county government has allocated Sh81 million for hiring of ECDE teachers in the 2018/2019 financial year.

“Early childhood education is a crucial stage of human development and my administration seeks to give it the attention it deserves. Children joining school need a conducive learning environment as this forms the foundation of their education,” Governor Kinyanjui told the Nation.

Over the weekend, Governor Kinyanjui distributed 648 chairs and 108 tables to 18 ECDE schools in Gilgil Sub-County.

Mr Kinyanjui revealed that his administration is determined to refurbish the centres and employ more teachers to serve the existing 939 registered public ECDE centres.

CLASSROOMS

The building of new classrooms and renovation of old ones will be done in all sub-counties.

The Nation learnt that the county is targeting to have at least two teachers per centre.

“To enhance delivery of early childhood education, the county government will employ more teachers and refurbish the centres,” added Mr Kinyanjui.

It also emerged that Governor Kinyanjui’s administration seeks to establish a programme to ensure the children are well fed to boost enrolment in the centres.

FEEDING PROGRAMME

“We will introduce ECDE centres’ feeding programme to ensure pupils get nutritious meals, clean water, child-friendly toilets and hand washing facilities. Our target is to ensure 6,419 pupils in ECDEs across the county are sitting comfortably in their classrooms and to also increase enrolment,” said Mr Joseph Kiuna, the County Executive Committee member for Education.

As part of the campaign, the county government has already employed 266 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, in a bid to put the institutions to good use.

Initially, parents had been shouldering the burden of paying ECDE teachers who were employed on contract.

At the inception of devolution, the national government handed over the management of the pre-primary institutions to county governments.

Education experts say infrastructure and ECDE staff remains a major setback in most counties since the advent of devolution.