Remarks · 26 October 2023
• Distinguished Guests;
We gather here to restate our commitment to the provision of a comprehensive and effective education for our children.
We also restate that the Government will invest the resources required to build a firm foundation for a better, inclusive and transformed Kenya.
Today, we flag off 203 new vehicles allocated to the 47 counties for use by our education officials in the management of education.
A few months ago, I received a report from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms with a raft of recommendations to improve access, equity and quality in the delivery of education to our children.
We are already implementing some of the report's recommendations, and our lawmakers are deliberating on the proposals that require policy and legislative changes to unlock their full effect. 6. it is our commitment that every child should have the chance to fulfil their potential and rise to the highest level of accomplishment that their intellect, talent and determination will allow. This is our duty as a government.
We appreciate that going to school is not enough; we have to make sure that children learn basic reading, writing and numeracy skills, which are the foundation for quality learning.
To aid this objective, we have recruited 56,000 this year, the largest number ever. However, teachers on their own are not enough to guarantee quality learning. They need support from the school and the Ministry of Education.
The right learning environment, effective school management and the provision of appropriate and sufficient reading and learning materials are also crucial.
To every teacher across the country, we promise to support you to do your best as part of our duty to ensure children learn to the expected standard and under the best possible environment.
Education officials across the country, too, have a critical role to play in shaping the quality of education in our institutions by ensuring that high standards are kept. Their supervision and inspection function keeps the system running as it should.
The government relies on the officials to deal with education emergencies. They are the first responders to any distress, threat or crisis faced by learners, schools and teachers. They provide physical, psychosocial and other forms of support that minimise danger to children and schools.
We are here to support our officials by providing the necessary resources they need to undertake these tasks.
These vehicles will enhance the mobility, effectiveness and efficiency of our education officers. They will help to improve supervision and inspection services to all schools across the 47 counties.
We expect the officials to enforce school attendance by learners and teachers, and map out the necessary support required in all institutions. We also expect them to strengthen internal quality assurance and standards the government is developing with head teachers and principals.
Education officials will also be on the front line of the quality assurance and standards system the government is developing and perfecting.
Education officials should detect lapses in curriculum delivery and work together with the school leadership to fix them.
With examinations beginning next week, these vehicles will improve the monitoring and distribution of examination papers across the country. The examination period tests the entire education system and is one of the ways to ensure the system holds.
I thank all those who have been part of this momentous occasion and expect that these vehicles will have a positive impact on the work that education officials do. Thank you. God Bless you.