Parents have been urged to work closely with teachers by actively monitoring their children’s academic progress to improve examination performance in Changamwe Constituency and help secure a better future while breaking the cycle of poverty.
Speaking during the issuance of NG-CDF bursary cheques worth Sh43 million, Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi said education does more than provide knowledge, noting that it also builds critical thinking, strengthens innovation, promotes social cohesion, and prepares young people to participate meaningfully in national development.
He lauded the introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, saying it aims to equip learners with practical skills, enhance critical thinking abilities, and nurture talents that prepare them for the modern economy.
The legislator noted that through NG-CDF bursaries, Members of Parliament are able to support students from vulnerable families to access education and prevent them from dropping out simply because their parents cannot afford school fees.
“The bursaries we are issuing today represent more than financial assistance. They represent an investment in the future of our young people and the future of this constituency. However, it is important to note that bursaries are meant to complement, not replace, the role of parents,” said Mwinyi.
The MP also promised to facilitate a benchmarking visit for schools in the constituency to some of the best-performing schools in the country.
Teachers were also advised against sending learners home because of remedial class fees, with the legislator terming the practice unfair to learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I am a teacher, and during my time, my students learned for free. Some even slept at school with me, and I never charged a single cent. I am proud of the results we achieved. If a teacher sends a child home over Sh100, then there is no mercy. As a teacher, you must know your parents, some of whom cannot even afford breakfast in the morning,” Mwinyi said.
He urged the Regional Director of Education to address the issue and also review the teacher-to-learner ratio to ensure parents are not burdened through the recruitment of additional teachers by school Boards of Management.
On his part, Governor Abdulswamad Nassir commended the continued support of NG-CDF in ensuring education remains accessible to children in Mombasa. He revealed that the County Assembly had passed the supplementary budget and that Sh40 million in fees owed to private schools would be settled.
To further reduce the cost of fees in public day schools, the Governor said that after consultations with MPs, the county introduced a school feeding programme for all public senior school students across the six sub-counties.
“After keen observation, I found that a huge portion of school fees goes to food. We worked with the Assembly and resolved that the county government would take responsibility for feeding all children in day schools,” the governor stated.
The initiative, he noted, has reduced school fees by Sh12,500, leaving parents with a balance of less than Sh5,000 after the NG-CDF contribution of between Sh4,000 and Sh5,000, significantly easing the financial burden on families while supporting learning.
“Early impact assessments from participating schools show encouraging results, with some classes recording attendance improvements of between 35 per cent and 100 per cent after the programme was introduced. Even in schools that already had high attendance, the feeding programme has helped stabilise participation and improve student concentration in class,” he disclosed.
Coast Regional Director of Education Ann Kiilu expressed concern over the region’s performance in last year’s KCSE examinations, noting that only a few students attained A grades. She challenged parents to motivate their children to work hard and excel in national examinations.
“Don’t discourage a child. With the Competency-Based Education system, we want to see learners achieving exceeding expectations levels one and two. The rest we should leave for the rest of the country. As the Coast region, we should be leading so that others come to benchmark with us, not the other way around,” said Kiilu.
By Sadik Hassan
