The institutions maintain since they complement the government in providing education, they should be given loans at low interest to build better structures for learners to effectively undertake Competency-Based Curriculum.
The principal of ACK Thika Memorial Church School, Peterson Gichuki, said most private schools have been struggling to set up quality and adequate structures that can facilitate proper implementation of the new curriculum that enables learners to discover their talents and abilities alongside academic work.
Speaking during the launch of the school’s new branch at Gatuanyaga following increased demand by parents, Gichuki stated that the new curriculum calls for huge investments in sports, music among other areas that will enable learners to fully exploit their talents, a capital-intensive development that requires the government’s support.
Gichuki said the right to education of every child, irrespective of where they study, is enshrined in the Constitution. He called for provision of tax holidays for private schools to encourage them to grow and further the quality learning they have been offering over the years.
“Huge investments are required for effective CBC implementation. For quality, schools need to have enough facilities and training equipment to fully enable learners to receive exposure. For this to happen, most private schools, unlike the public ones that are funded by the government, will require incentives, tax holidays and cheap loans. The government should consider our request since the children we teach are also public,” Gichuki said.
Thika Anglican Bishop Julius Wanyoike, who spearheaded the opening of the new ECDE and lower primary school, called on the government to provide church schools with spacious land to expand their institutions, which he described as significant pillars as they not only instil knowledge but also values to learners since they are Christian-based.
“We are requesting the government to give us at least five acres to expand our institution so that we can continue imparting knowledge and instilling values to our learners. We are Christian-based and as such our goal is to nurture and inculcate discipline among learners who are the future of this nation,” he said.
Bishop Wanyoike said the new school was constructed following increased demand by parents whose children have been traversing kilometres to access education.
The development, he said, will further help reduce overflows in the heavily congested Gatuanyaga Primary School to facilitate efficient learning.
Kiambu Deputy Dovernor Rosemary Kirika, who graced the event, pointed out that early childhood offers a critical window of opportunity to shape the trajectory of a child’s holistic development and build a foundation for their future.
Kirika revealed that Kiambu government is working towards rehabilitating dilapidated ECDE centres to facilitate quality learning, sleep and exploration of the children.
He stated that for children to achieve their full potential, they not only need health care and nutrition, protection from harm and a sense of security, but also quality learning to enhance brain development.
“We are building over 100 model ECDE centres and rehabilitating the dilapidated ones. We understand and cannot ignore the importance of early childhood education and the impact it has on a child’s consequent years,” Kirika said.
The new school was built at premises that initially housed a notorious club in the area, a move that the area MCA Jackson Kung’u lauded saying it will help in the fight against abuse of outlawed substances.
Kung’u at the same time urged the local government to support private schools to grow, saying they support the government by providing quality education for children.
