Magarini secondary schools have been ordered to establish lunch programmes from January next year to reduce the risk of teenage pregnancies.
Education officials said a lack of lunch programmes in most day secondary schools has forced many students to roam trading centres during lunchtime.
Magarini subcounty education director Josephat Ngumi said most girls are easily lured into sex during lunch hours in exchange for money.
''Parents should take responsibility for buying uniforms, providing lunch for their children. I have noticed that students walk to look for food, making them vulnerable to bad behaviour,'' he said.
Ngumi spoke in Gongoni during the handing over of bursary cheques by the area MP Michael Kingi.
The education official said other parents cannot afford to give their children money for lunch daily but with the new programme no students will be allowed to leave school for lunch.
Ngumi directed principals to plan with the boards and parents to offer lunch at a reasonable cost such Sh30 per day for every student.
“From next year January, all schools in Magarini must start lunch programmes. We do not want to see students loitering in trading centres at lunch hours,” he said.
Mwawesa Ward MCA Caroline Maku called on parents to invest in education for their children for them to pursue careers and live a better life.
She said in the era of increased cases of teenage pregnancy parents are supposed to be cautious and bring up their children well.
