- The county government, Odera said, will strive to limit cases of students wasting time at home for lack of school fees.
- The DG spoke at Moding High School in Teso North subcounty during a parents’ meeting on Friday.
The county government of Busia will support parents who are unable to pay school fees for students in high school, college and university, Deputy Governor Arthur Odera has said.
The former Teso North MP said the new county administration led by Governor Paul Otuoma will invest adequate resources in the development of the education sector in the border county.
The county government, he said, will strive to limit cases of students wasting time at home because their parents are incapable of raising money for school fees.
“There is poverty which is causing difficulty in paying school fees. However, as the county government, we want to assure parents that we will allocate bursaries so that we support those who are finding it difficult to pay school fees,” Odera said.
“As the county government we will put all efforts in ensuring that the education standards from Early Childhood Development Education institutions and in youth polytechnics improve.
“We have also agreed as county leaders that we will individually support the development of the education sector both in primary and secondary school.”
The DG spoke at Moding High School in Teso North subcounty during a parents’ meeting on Friday.
He said for Busia to produce people who will steer development, residents and other stakeholders must invest heavily in education.
With an educated population, he said, the county will boast of people with diverse expertise needed to support development.
“We are reminding parents, teachers as well as learners of the importance of working together so that we elevate the standards of education in the county,” Odera said.
“We are also reminding all stakeholders in the education sector of the importance of empowering our learning institutions so that they become institutions that people not only in Busia but also outside the county can admire.”
Moding High School is among the best performing schools in Teso North.
The school is in the process of being elevated from a subcounty school to a county institution.
The DG said the new county administration will involve the public in deciding which development projects will be initiated across the seven subcounties of Teso North, Teso South, Nambale, Busia, Butula, Samia and Bunyala.
Projects, he said, will be initiated according to the priorities of the people.
“We will give the people a chance to priorotise the projects they want to be done in their area,” he said.
“In so doing, they will be able to guide the county government on what is most important and when and how much so that when the county government invests resources, it is invested in areas of the greatest need.
“Everything that we will do will start with public participation because the Constitution says that the sovereignty belongs to the people and they can exercise it directly or they can exercise it indirectly through their elected leaders.”
Moding High School principal Violet Wepukhulu said the institution needed a modern science laboratory and an equipped library to be able to boost student performance.
Leaders who accompanied the deputy governor included Teso North subcounty administrator Zipporah Amoit, Teso North subcounty education director Naftal Ombati and Ang’urai North MCA Isaac Wamalwa.
Edited by Henry Makori