Learners in schools within Juja subcounty, Kiambu county can now heave a sigh of relief following launching of a programme to renovate the learning institutions.
MP George Koimburi said the area's National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) has allocated Sh80 million of the kitty towards improving public schools. This is with an aim of boosting academic performance.
Some of the projects set to be undertaken include construction and renovation of classrooms, construction of new laboratories and installation of ablution blocks in schools.
Classrooms are being constructed at Karia-ini and Thome primary schools and Juja secondary school. Some 24 classrooms will be renovated at Rurii, Athi, Nyacaba and Gachororo primary schools.
Laboratories are being constructed at Ndururumo, Kalimoni and Murera primary schools as well as St Paul and Bob Harris Karamaini secondary schools.
Speaking at Karamaini Secondary School in Witeithie ward on Tuesday while launching construction of a Sh5.6 million laboratory, Koimburi expressed his shock over the deplorable state of public schools in the area. He said the dilapidated state of the public institutions largely contributed to truancy and undesirable results in the national examinations.
“Some of the institutions lack the very basic infrastructure like classrooms and sanitary facilities. This is the reason why our students are performing poorly because the environment they’ve been subjected to is totally unfriendly,” Koimburi said.
The MP said some of the institutions will require complete infrastructural overhaul, adding that his team is up to task to give the institutions a new face with an aim of boosting the learners’ and teachers’ morale for improved academic results.
“We have instructed the contractors to ensure the projects are done within two months while adhering to quality. We want our learners and teachers to have a conducive environment to learn and work from as we seek to perk up academic performance which has been wanting for years,” Koimburi said.
The MP said student’s population in schools within the constituency has been on a rise as the government fully implements the 100 per cent transition, and hence the need for more facilities to effectively accommodate them.
At Karamaini Secondary School, Koimburi said the student population has grown from six to 300 for the last three years since the school was started, noting that the institution is in dire need of more facilities.
“We are currently constructing a laboratory which is vital in the students’ studies. We will add more classrooms because we anticipate there will be more learners joining next year. Again, we are appealing to the government through the Ministry of Education to post teachers in this school because we have a huge deficit and the ones available are paid by parents,” Koimburi said.
The school Principal John Wainaina while welcoming the project said that lack of a laboratory has been the reason why students have been performing dismally in science subjects.
“We have been using laboratory facilities from a nearby private school but we are glad that we will now have ours and we expect our students to shine in science subjects. Again parents have been moving their children from this school due to lack of such facilities, but we now hope to get even more students come next year,” Wainaina said.
At the same time, the lawmaker said Juja candidates who will attain 400 marks in the forthcoming KCPE examinations will get slots to join Mang’u High School, the only national boarding school located within the constituency.
For years, area leaders have been crying foul of being shortchanged during Form 1 selection and placement, claiming that Juja candidates rarely get slots at Mang’u High School.
“This time our boys will join Mang’u and the NG-CDF will offer them full sponsorship,” he said.
Parents led by Philomena Njambi, hailed the projects saying they will play a pivotal role in improving the academic performance of their children.
