Former Higher Education Minister and also Member of Parliament for Eldoret North William Ruto said on Wednesday that one way to increase the the percentage of students who transform from basic to tertiary education, requires drastic reforms in the sector.
The MP said that this would ensure that Kenya gets value for the billions invested into the Education sector every year and challenged school heads to embrace the opportunity to reform the country's school curriculum.
"There is need for courageous educationists to engage in public debate that will see the sector heal the inadequacies of the current system while assuring the country's youth of skills that will enable them get employment," Ruto noted.
The law maker was speaking in Nakuru where he addressed the Rift Valley secondary school heads association annual conference where advised the teachers to access the skills and technology needed to help the country achieve its Vision 2030 blueprint and then benchmark the new education system on it.
He said education system must be targeted at equipping students with skills and technological know how so that the country can overcome the challenges its facing currently.
Ruto hit back at the teachers' bodies who have come out in opposition of proposed reforms in the education sector that seek to overhaul the 8-4-4 system saying it will do bad than good to the whole sector.
He cited Baringo County where community attacks and cattle rustling incidences in the past month had resulted in 14 schools in the area being closed.
He lamented that despite the country allocating a budgetary provision of more than Sh100 billion annually on security, schools in parts of the country remained closed due to banditry and conflict.
"We cannot invest that much money in security but our children cannot get education because of cattle rustling. We demand quick redress from the government," he said.
He reiterated the need for political parties to become institutions of governance and not personal outfits and assured Kenyan that after the next general election brief case political parties will be gone forever.
Ruto assured Kenyans for a different election which will be characterized by issue based and called on the electorate to shun tribal politics.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.