By Elizabeth Mwibanda, Bungoma
Kanduyi Member of Parliament, John Makali, has called on parents to take responsibility for ensuring that their children report to school on time.
Speaking during the launch of new Junior Secondary School (JSS) classrooms at Bungoma DEB, Makali expressed concern about the number of students who have not yet reported to school due to a lack of essential resources such as school fees, books, and uniforms.
“Let us meet the needs of our children timely because the only gift we can give them today is education,” Makali urged.
He emphasized the importance of education, stating that when a child goes to school, parents can be assured of a brighter future and the independence that comes with it.
The Ford Kenya MP also addressed teachers, urging them to remain dedicated to their duties, both inside and outside the classroom.
He encouraged teachers to ensure that students receive quality education, which should include both theoretical and practical learning as part of the new education system.
“The only reward you can give to our parents today as teachers is ensuring our children pass exams,” Makali stated. “They will only succeed if you have tirelessly worked with them, revising for exams. Their success today will benefit us all.”
Makali emphasized the importance of laying a strong foundation for the students, particularly as this cohort is the pioneer class under the new curriculum. He urged teachers to give their best to prepare this generation for the future.
In addition, Makali discussed the financial challenges faced by many parents, especially in light of a reduction in the NG-CDF bursary disbursements this year.
“This year’s disbursement is lower than last year’s,” he noted, revealing that the constituency would receive approximately Sh20 million in bursaries compared to Sh54 million the previous year. “We are hopeful that more funds will be disbursed later, but we will only be able to offer partial support for school fees,” he added.
He encouraged parents of needy students not to rely solely on bursaries but to make an effort to contribute towards their children’s fees.
To ensure fairness, the constituency would introduce a vetting system to prioritize students in need. “In the course of this month, we will distribute forms for vetting, and those entrusted with the process will ensure only the truly needy students benefit from the bursaries,” Makali explained.
While acknowledging the financial strain many parents are under, Makali pleaded with teachers to show understanding and allow students who owe fees to stay in school as parents work on settling the arrears.
“It is discouraging for a student to report to school and be sent home the next day. I would wish teachers would allow some leeway for parents to raise money and settle the fees,” he said.
The head teacher of Bungoma DEB, Tobias Khisa, expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Education and the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) for constructing the new classrooms.
Previously, there were 120 to 130 students in a single classroom, which caused severe overcrowding. The construction of nine new classrooms has helped reduce the number of students per classroom to around 90 to 100, greatly improving the learning environment.
