Education in Teso North constituency received a major boost after area MP Oku Kaunya unveiled a five-year strategic plan which is aimed at turning around the education sector to accommodate hybrid alongside skill–based learning.
Speaking at Amagoro Girls secondary, Kaunya said that his focus is to re-strategise and prioritise education fields in the constituency and ensure that next year, all youths irrespective of their education status get adequate skills relevant for the job market here in Kenya and overseas.
The legislature added that having a mass population of youths around who have no basic skills is hazardous and risky to the security of the constituency.
“By next year no child will bear school dropout title in the society as we shall build more technical and tertiary institutions which will equip our youths with skills suitable for the market,” said Kaunya.
“As a constituency we remain committed to ensuring we address the state of infrastructure in our schools to be able to support both hybrid learning and basic skilled education,” he added.
Kaunya said the launch of the strategic plan was vital for them, revealing that those behind the document had factored all their views, adding that the plan would benefit residents of the Constituency.
“My dream is to have Teso North become a model Constituency and to put it on the map of Kenya academically to be in tandem with other areas in the country,” the MP said.
County Executive Committee Member for ICT, Strategic Planning and Digital Economy Douglas Okiring said he has already sourced for five investors who are willing to come and invest in the county, adding that the only challenge now is to look for pieces of land.
Okiring said that it’s unfortunate that the previous regime had been operating without a spatial plan, noting that the scenario has since changed.
The CECM revealed that the over 800 acres of Nasewa land had been subdivided into two with part one being County Aggregated Industrial Park to encourage commercial farming and the second being Export Processing Zone to attract investors to construct factories for export purposes.
KUPPET Executive Secretary Morfat Okisai, challenged the government to relook into the terms of service for JSS teachers and employ adequate and up to task teachers to serve the junior secondary schools so as not to disadvantage the learners.
Okisai noted that its regrettable to learn that JSS teacher covers 14 subjects alone per class in most schools within the sub-county.
“Destroying a Nation only needs one to annihilate education and the state is worrying therefore the government should employ quality and adequate personnel in the field and also consider their remuneration,” says Okisai Morfat.
By Absalom Namwalo and Joel Okodoi