People's Liberation Party Leader Martha Karua, on Wednesday, April 29, offered the government three solutions to address brain fog among CBC pupils.
Karua, while making reference to findings that 75 percent of Grade 3 Learners cannot do basic Math and struggle with English, drew from the late Mwai Kibaki's approach that revolutionised education in the country.
She urged the government to ensure that teachers across all levels of education should not only be remunerated on time, but well enough to motivate them.
"Pay and equip teachers properly. You cannot expect quality education when teachers are underpaid, undertrained, and working without basic resources," Karua proposed.
The firebrand leader also asked President William Ruto's administration and the Ministry of Education to invest in the learning conditions of pupils across the country.
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Karua stated that the government should invest in educational infrastructure, including properly constructed classrooms equipped with desks, books and functional infrastructure.
She added that the State needed to clip corruption in the education sector at its root.
"Hold county and national governments accountable for education budgets. The money is there. It must reach the classroom, not personal bank accounts," the PLP leader stated.
Karua, who sat in the late Kibaki's government, stated that Kenya's third president was keen on ensuring that education gave all Kenyans an equal chance at life.
"I understood firsthand that education is the greatest equaliser. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Turkana or Karen, from a tea farm in Nyeri or an estate in Eastlands, quality education can equip you to compete and thrive in and beyond Kenya," she stated.
The Iron Lady gave her two cents following the report by the Kenya National Examinations Council on the progress of learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
KNEC's report revealed that only 44 percent of Grade 3 learners achieved the minimum benchmark in English literacy, and that overall, only 26.8 percent of learners met expectations in foundational numeracy skills.
