Drug and child labor attributed to poor performance in Mwea

Kerugoya, 

Sunday, January 14, 2024 

KNA by David Wandeto 

Mwea Member of Parliament Mary Maingi has decried that drug abuse and child labour contributed to poor performance of local schools in National Examinations.

She told an education summit with all stakeholders to deliberate on the falling education standards in the constituency that it was time the two issues were addressed to restore the glory Mwea enjoyed previously in terms of performance when local secondary schools excelled.

She decried that schools in both Mwea East and Mwea West sub counties posted a mean score of less than 4 in the last year’s (2023) Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) saying the trend a major concern.

She has associated the dismal performance to rampant cases of child labor and substance abuse as most of the learners were preoccupied with such habits at the expense of their education.

"It's my humble call to our rice farmers not to give any casual labor to anyone who is under 18 years old. Let's try our best to make our children get an education; let them be in schools," Maingi said.

 She announced that the Education Summit would implement all resolutions agreed upon and make follow up on recommendations to deal firmly with parents and employers who engage students as workers in rice paddies when they were supposed to be in school.

Maingi expressed fears that drugs like bhang were even being sold in primary schools and called on parents to be watchful of their children in everything they do

"Through the cooperation of the area DCCs, we have been able to minimize the use of drugs in Mwea constituency, but it is still a challenge to completely wipe out the vice," she said.

On his part, Mwea East DCC Fred Ayieko said that the role of security teams is to make sure there is a good working environment for everyone, and they have intensified operations to deal firmly with those selling drugs and illicit brew in the region and also arrest parents whose children are not going to school.

Courtesy; KNA