Kenia: New education CS to sustain reforms ministry is undertaking

Kenia / Por: Beth Nyaga / Fuente: http://www.kbc.co.ke

The new Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ambassador Amina Mohamed has said she will sustain the reforms the Ministry is undertaking.

“We will continue to move forward with the reforms,” Ambassador Mohamed affirmed, in reference to the wide-ranging reforms initiated by her predecessor Fred Matiang’i.

“I know how much work it takes to get our reform process moving,” Ambassador Mohamed noted, saying she will provide the leadership needed to ensure full implementation of the reforms.

She made the remarks during an extensive briefing session at the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) on Tuesday.

She was flanked by, Chief Administrator, Simon Kachapin, the Principal Secretary for State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang and his Counterpart in University Education and Research, Prof Micheni J. Ntiba.

Ambassador Mohamed said she looked forward to the support from staff given its technical expertise, saying the Ministry and staff had a greater responsibility to impact the life of millions of children.

“We should deepen our impact and resolve to work together,” the CS noted.

Dr. Kipsang said that the Ministry was responsible to the education and training of 17 million Kenyans in basic education and tertiary institutions.

He described access, equity, quality, relevance in education and retention of learners in schools as cardinal duties for the Ministry which it ought to observe.

Dr. Kipsang, who was retained as Principal Secretary in the Ministry, said that the staff in the Ministry would give the new Cabinet Secretary all the support she needs to make a difference in the lives of our children.

Directors of various departments outlined the policies, programmes, projects and programmes the Ministry was undertaking to improve children’s access, equity, quality, relevance of education.

Ambassador Mohamed called for the series of meetings to enable her and other top leadership newly appointed leaders in the Ministry to understand the challenges and opportunities the Ministry had in providing educational services to the country.

Officers accordingly provided information regarding the policies, programmes, projects and initiatives the Ministry had developed and implementing to meet its mandate.

The Ministry of education has initiated various reforms aimed at making quality and relevant education accessible to all learners regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds of the children, gender, region or physical conditions.

It is also implementing two transformative programmes in literacy and numeracy in all public primary schools in the country, aside from facilitating changes on the education system where competence based curriculum will be implemented in 2019.

The Ministry has also cracked down on examinations cheating, introduced new textbook distribution policy, and curbed school fees which had run out of control by dint of Principals’ disregard of school fees guidelines the ministry issues.

“We are not going backwards. We shall not discuss anything discussed. Our work is going to be implementation,” she said during the handing/taking over ceremony last week.

“I will focus on building on what has been achieved and sustaining the momentum for reform in the education sector,” she noted.

She made similar affirmation on Tuesday.

The CS is set to meet the officials of the State Departments of University Education, Vocational and Technical Training on today, and thereafter, she will meet officials of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Kenya National Examinations Council before the weekends.

The CS is set to meet the officials of the State Departments of University Education, Vocational and Technical Training on today, and thereafter, she will meet officials of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Kenya National Examinations Council before the weekends.

Fuente noticia: http://www.kbc.co.ke/local-news/new-education-cs-sustain-reforms-ministry-undertaking/