By John Majau.
Teachers and parents have been urged to establish mentorship programmes in a bid to motivate learners and improve academic performance in the national examinations.
Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) vice chairperson Consolata Nkatha and the State Department of Housing and Urban Planning Secretary Patrick Bucha both said the initiative should be launched across all the schools with poorly performance in a deliberate move to boost the student’s morale.
The duo raised concerns over the poor education standards in Meru County adding that the best way to reverse the trend was through initiating mentorship programmes in all the learning institutions posting poor grades in the national examinations.
They challenged all the education stakeholders countrywide to come up with prudent measures meant to uplift education standards especially in the rural schools.
Speaking during a thanks giving ceremony at Nchaure Primary school in North Imenti constituency, Meru County where the two siblings schooled, the duo said there was an urgent need for the schools to launch mentorship programmes by targeting the alumni who did well in school in order to encourage the current students.
“We should all embrace mentorship and talk to our children in schools. We must discipline our children with love. We should talk and encourage those scoring low grades instead of depressing or despising them so that they can know they will still make it in life,” said Nkatha.
During the thanks giving ceremony the former IEBC commissioner donated Sh88, 000 as fees to the needy students from the school who had posted good marks.
Currently she is sponsoring 80 students with 20 of them being locals from Nchaure primary school while the remaining 60 are spread evenly in the country.
Bucha on his part called for the support of the day secondary schools by increasing the capitation funds from the National Government.
“I urge the government and Good Samaritans to ensure that they fully support the day secondary schools which are mostly flocked by bright and needy students who are unable to raise school fees. We have seen students from the day schools perform excellently and since they need learning facilities they need our full support as the community and government,” said Bucha.
Bucha issued a full scholarship to Keffas Muguna who had scored 422 marks in the 2018 KCPE at Chaure Primary school which is in the remote parts of Imenti North Sub County.
Muguna will be joining Mangu high school.
