By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County, Kenya: Parents and guardians in Busia County have been called upon to look after their children during the December holidays to curb the increase in teenage pregnancies in the County.
Stakeholders in the education sector want parents to take up their role and advise teenagers from engaging in unnecessary relationships.
According to KNUT chairman Busia branch Justus Majale there is a need for parents and guardians to be on the watch out to prevent more pregnancies among school going, children
“We have challenges in Busia County over teenage pregnancies increase, we are heading to December holidays, it will be long let parents and guardians step up and look after their children during this holiday to avoid more pregnancies,” he said
He said, “The rate of Busia county recording over 21 percent teenage pregnancies should not be tolerated.”
According to him, teenagers drop out of school the moment they get pregnant which ruins their lives.
“Majority of these girls drop out of school once they are impregnated ruining their lives and we can’t allow that to continue happening. It is a collective responsibility to make sure that we stop that. We don’t need to always be ahead of other counties nationally in teenage pregnancies we already have enough challenges.” He said.
Mr. Majale noted that as teachers they have released children to their parents in good condition and for the two months they will be at home, it is upon the parents to make sure that the learners go back to school next year.
“We have released the learners to their parents it is upon them to know their whereabouts and what they are doing. Let them monitor closely what time they are leaving their homes and what time they are coming back,” he noted.
He added, “Those promoting disco matanga, which is the main cause of teenage pregnancies in the County should be dealt with accordingly, and parents should monitor their children when they are not in school.
I support organizations fighting those who are impregnating teenagers in our county. If you are found to be behind that, you will be taken to court, there is nothing like negotiating with the parents of the victims outside the court. You must be taken to court and disciplined because you are damaging our girls, and as a society and a community, we want to reverse that process. We don’t want it to happen.”
On competence-based curriculum, Mr. Clapton Maiga director of Clane academy schools in Samia Sub County in Busia lauded the recommendations by the education task force on CBC having junior secondary schools domiciled in primary schools adding that it would have been unfair for the learners in grade seven to nine to stay in boarding schools.
“We have had challenges about the implementation of the program, being that it is still a new system, it will be a challenge to roll it out but it is a good program to learners as far as CBC is concerned there is no child who will leave the school without gaining anything meaningful in his/her life. The recommendation of having the junior secondary schools in the primary section is a good move. It would have been unfair to take young learners in boarding schools,” he noted
As private schools, Mr. Maiga noted that they have already constructed laboratories in their facilities as recommended by the education task force.
