“Mandera Youth Polytechnic has over the years attracted an
average of 20 students. This year, they have more than 350 applications. Those
who graduate will get equipment and two months’ rent for premises from the
county to help them set up.” - Johora Abdi
Given its remote location, tough terrain and pastoralist culture,
education in Mandera stagnated for decades. Life has now been blown into the
sector following the arrival of devolution two years ago. Even though education
is not devolved per se, the County Government recognised early the central role
it would play in transforming the lives of its people. It went about innovative
ways to supplement the national government’s input by making schooling exciting
and predictable.
“For years, schools here were the worst performing. After
only two years, we have now managed to have more than 400 candidates qualifying
for university from our secondary schools,” says Governor Ali Roba. “We managed this, yet 60 per cent of our schools remain closed 60 per
cent of the time. This year, we also managed the first A ever in KCSE,” Mr.
Roba notes.
The county minister for education and
social services Johora Mohamed Abdi
says with education still centralised, they have identified associated factors
to help provide accelerators for quality learning. “We are working with the leaders to inspire and motivate students to
put in more effort in their education. Unlike elsewhere, MPs never used to
participate in the few prize giving days, but today we are having them more
regularly and MPs are always with us. We are seeing a renewed interest across
the county,” Ms Abdi says. She
says the education events are also working to change the community’s attitude towards
schooling.
One of the
first things the county did upon its establishment was to hold an education conference
in June
2013 to discuss ways of addressing the perennial poor performance. They
are now working to ensure education inspection services are more consistent as a
strategy to driving up quality. A follow up conference will be held next month
to assess 2014 KCPE and KCSE performances.
Special focus
has gone into tertiary education. This includes the establishment of a
TIVET institution, where
the County will offer full scholarship for the first batch of 300 students. “Mandera Youth Polytechnic has over the years attracted an average of
20 students. This year, they have more than 350 applications,” the
education minister says, adding that those who graduate will get equipment and
two months’ rent for premises from the county to help them set up.
Security has
emerged as a major challenge in the county’s match to revive education. This
year, 207 secondary school teachers and
343 primary school teachers decided not
to resume work following deadly terrorist attacks towards the end of last year.
The county has had to fall back on form four leavers who qualified for
university as a stopgap measure as it explores a longer-term solution. A total
of 336 are currently engaged to teach
in primary schools.
Achievements
• Held
prize-giving day in more than 50 schools, and for the first time, key political
leaders, such as MPs, participated
• Trained 460
ECD teachers in 2014
• Distributed
sports items to 130 teams across the county
• Gave out
trophies to 41 secondary schools and 188 primary schools
• Trained 70
referees and coaches
• Constructed
4 community social halls
• Established
a KSh117 million bursary fund
• Constructed
ECD Training College; ready for first batch of students
•
Reinvigorated admission interest in Mandera Youth Polytechnic.
•
Constructed 16 ECD centres and 6 model ECD classes
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