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Abagusii Education Files
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Written by Henry Neondo
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Saturday, 23 August 2008 20:52 |
The rains pounding Kisii, Nyamira and Gucha districts are a blessing as well as a curse to residents. Here, people are happy because a bumper harvest is in the offing. But they are cursing the weather in equal measure because in a few weeks, an outbreak of malaria is almost certain.
Indeed, medical authorities have sent out an alert over a possible upsurge of the disease. They are asking residents to be wary because all health resources are being concentrated on the war against HIV/Aids. There is no room or drugs in the local hospitals to handle an outbreak of malaria, they concede.
A survey carried out by Panorama last week established a worrisome situation. The Kisii Level Five Hospital, for example, is the referral facility for 22 other neighbouring sub district hospitals. Here, HIV/Aids patients occupy 40 per cent of the 376 beds. Dr Geoffrey Otomu, the hospital medical superintendent, says the hospital makes an average of 60 admissions per day out of which 40 are HIV/Aids patients. Although malaria is more lethal and kills faster than HIV/Aids, less attention is being paid to the disease, he says.
So far, the medic says, the highest cases of malaria recorded at the hospital were 461 in the 18th week of this year compared to 600 cases recorded last year in the 14th week. This, he says, is because there aren’t enough beds to be occupied by malaria patients. Most rural health facilities in this area and elsewhere in the country lack capacity to tackle an avalanche of deadly malaria outbreak. "We can only fight malaria effectively by strengthening rural health facilities," said Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, the Public Health minister, when he toured the hospital recently.
But the escalation of the HIV/Aids pandemic has rendered rural health facilities and the district hospitals ineffective in managing malaria. Otomu says there is continued shift from offering curative services for tackling malaria, anaemia, bronchitis, pneumonia and TB to controlling and managing HIV/Aids although malaria remains the leading killer disease among communities in Kisii.
A report by the Kisii District Development Committee says Kisii Level Five Hospital faces an acute congestion. But change of focus is not isolated to Kisii alone. Around the country, billions of shillings meant for preventive and curative services for other diseases have been re-allocated to combat HIV/Aids, which kills its victims by exposing them to opportunistic diseases. It is estimated that HIV/Aids kills 700 Kenyans daily.
Kenya, like many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, has to make tough choices on the face of an explosive HIV/Aids crisis and the recurring malaria and typhoid outbreaks, especially in Kisii highlands and other regions.
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Written by Kisii.Com Admin.
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Saturday, 08 March 2008 20:52 |
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In the 1970s and 1980s, the mention of some school names immediately brought to mind academic success. Agoro Sare High School in South Nyanza, Shimo la Tewa School at the Coast, Kerugoya Boys’ High School in Kirinyaga, Cardinal Otunga in Kisii, Kagumo High in Nyeri, among others, were schools that made parents confidently believe their children would excel at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination. Other schools that generated this kind of confidence included Tengecha Boys’ High School, St Peter’s Kapropita High School, Sawagongo, St Mary’s Yala and Rapogi High. Girls’ schools that shone included Ng’iya and Lwak high schools in Siaya district, Tumu Tumu and Bishop Gatimu Ngandu high schools in Nyeri, Kereri in Kisii, Nangina Girls, Mukumu Girls, Star of the Sea and Nyabisawa. Today, however, most of these schools are hardly heard of. In fact, some parents turn down their children’s admission to some of these fallen giants. In the 1980s, these schools were scrambled for and, if a student was not admitted to any of them, he or she would look for and read notes from students who had found a place there. Students interacted with their counterparts from these giants with one aim; to borrow ideas on how to perform better in KCSE. Mock examination questions were exchanged during the holidays, something that students hardly do today. Various reasons have been cited for the decline, ranging from indiscipline to dilapidated infrastructure, while some head teachers feel that the problem lies in the ranking system. “How I wish we didn’t rank schools. We have stopped training our children to competitively handle world challenges and we are tutoring them for examinations,” one teacher said. Most teachers who talked to the Sunday Nation expressed concern about the worrying trend of cheating in examinations. Although evidence indicates that some schools have been penalised for cheating, most teachers said that the Kenya National Examinations Council needs to do more. “We urge the Kenya National Examinations Council to guard against examination leakage which is one of the causes of the ranking discrepancies,” another teacher said. However, the principal of State House Girls’ High School, Mrs Sera Ndege, said her school had maintained its mean grade of B- for the past four years and the ranking of the school did not bother her as long as the individual students performed well. Ms Ndege said her main concern now is to ensure that the mean grade improves, as every student performed well and got a mean grade that would allow them pursue university education. Some teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the ranking system had caused some head teachers to allow their students to cheat to raise the ranking of their schools. They claimed that some schools were directing their energies towards drilling students purely for the purpose of getting the school a high national position. Although some schools are not well equipped for science subjects, this does not seem to offer sufficient reason for the giants’ fall. Some schools performed admirably, even though they did not appear in the list of top performers, raising questions as to what the ranking criteria are. The introduction of the quota system has also been blamed for the declining performance of provincial schools. Under this system, students are drawn from the province these schools are located. Before this policy was introduced, students were drawn from all provinces of the country. Teachers argue that before the introduction of the quota system, students used to compete for excellence. The standards they sought were much higher than they are today. The quota system, however, killed this spirit and made students lax. The teachers also blamed political interference for the fall of the giants. They said the process of selecting school heads was hijacked by powerful politicians and sponsors. The result of this was that head teachers were selected depending on who backed them, rather than on who was best suited for the job. This demoralised teachers and the schools lost momentum in their quest for excellence.
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Written by Otori Orina & Amos Momanyi
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Monday, 25 February 2008 13:35 |
Secondary schools in Nyamira District are notorious for their poor performance in national examinations. Unfortunately, this has always been blamed on the students. However, the state of laboratories, library services and regular teaching in the district are all wanting.
Some students, for instance, go all the way to Form Four before being exposed to basic science equipment like a microscope. It is time this problem was sorted out once and for all. The schools must be supplied with adequate learning materials and teaching taken seriously.
Together, let us improve education standards in Nyamira.
An imminent education crisis looms in Kenya. Unless urgent measures are taken, this could have far reaching implications in our education sector. Consequently, someone from Jogoo House should come out and explain or help avert this problem.
The Education ministry, through a circular dated January 9, 2008, detailed how the free secondary education would be implemented. According to this circular, the Government was to spend Sh10,625 per child. Even as principals were hurriedly made to open bank accounts, no money so far has been sent to them.
What is more disturbing is another circular attributed to Jogoo House MOE/G1/9/1 and dated 12th February 12, 2008, only Sh2,071 is said to have been dispatched to the school accounts.
A number of questions emerge. Why Sh2,071 and not Sh5,132.50? Now that the Sh2,071 is termed as the first tranche in the later circular, is that all for the term? If not, then when is the rest to be expected? What advice would be given to the principals given that the schools must run and the Sh2,000 per child is not enough?
To make matters worse, even the Sh2,071 has not reached the schools although the first term is midway.
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Written by Matunda Nyanchama
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Saturday, 30 June 2007 08:08 |
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A year ago, we gathered here on a day that coincided with MKIDA (Minnesota Kenya International Development Association) Graduation Gala; we had participants from across North America – Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ontario (Canada) and from here in Minnesota.
This was a MKIDA initiative; and we must thank MKIDA for taking the initiative; in doing so, they demonstrated leadership!
Our charge was the subject of the state of Gusii Education; as you know, in Gusii, school performance continues to be extremely poor. All the Gusii districts rank near the bottom in the performance list across the country. Year to year, Gusii is taking less and less children to university and colleges since very few of them qualify. At the rate of failure we are experiencing in Gusii, we could end up as bottom feeders in the national and global economy
Clearly, this is a problem!
Questions were asked to try and understand the problem of education in Gusii. So what really is wrong? Why are children from Gusii not doing well? Is Mogusii innately stupid and cannot do well? Yet, across Kenya Gusii children are doing well? Outside Kenya, we have successful people from Gusii.
The next question was: what is the nature of the problem? What are the root causes?
These questions were necessary to make sure that we understand what we are dealing with? How big was the problem? This is because we know that only if and when we understand the problem can we attack it successfully.
The issues of Gusii Education are complex; they are intricate and have to do with:
1. Poverty & Lack of Resources
1. Lack of resources; it also inefficient of resources
2. Poverty and lack of employment opportunities
2. Leadership, politics and mentorship
1. Too much political interference
2. Leadership and management in schools and the role of HMs and lack of accountability
3. Lack of model schools – excellence standards
3. Cultural practices like those favouring boys over girls – and yet we know that women are the foundation of society – and this is not simply a statement for Gusii
4. Motivation
1. Student motivation – are our students motivated enough?
2. Teacher motivation and their commitment
5. It has to do with the nature of education: our education is tailored to passing examinations so that one can become someone’s employee! How about entrepreneur – the people who create businesses and jobs?
6. Disease: AIDS continues to have a huge impact
7. Lack of Model schools:
8. Economics: lack of jobs in sight is a demotivator.
9. And more!
So we know there is a beast with respect to Gusii education? We know a little about the nature of the beast; and we know what could be done?
Now the question is HOW??
Given the complexity of the problem, a select committee was appointed to help guide us address this and make recommendations on the way forward. The following were appointed members of the select committee:
Gusii Education Select Committee
Dr Joshua Bagaka
Dr Tabitha Otieno
Dr Kefa Otiso
Dr Harrison Koroso
Dr Omari Onyango
M/s Orpha Ong’iti
Ms Margaret Obaga
Mr. Kennedy Gisemba
Mr. Jared London
Dr. Meshack Sagini
Dr Justus Ogembo
Dr Matunda Nyanchama
As you can see this is a team of accomplished individuals; and expectations were high!
Since then, the team has worked diligently for the last one year; we have met faithfully every 2nd Sunday 3:00 PM CST. In the process, the committee develop proposals to MKIDA on the way forward for education in Gusii; we have also planned and partially implemented an award program for students at KCPE, KSCE, best schools and best teacher. Awards for Nyamira and Kisii Central have been given for a boy and girl each with the best marks at KCPE. The one for Gucha will be given in the future.
Yesterday, we reconvened again for the entire day for the 2nd Gusii Education Conference. The participation was impressive. We sat for a marathon 13 hours! Amazing what motivated people can do! The outcomes from are these:
1. The size of the problem: The issue of education is Gusii a LARGE BEAST; we need to define it well! We need to understand it so that we don’t act like the ten blind men and the elephant.
2. We need to know who to work with – stakeholders: and they are me, you, and every Mogusii; they include the teachers, students and parents; they consist of politicians, school headmasters/mistresses; and they embrace everybody interested in Gusii education
3. Resources: What resources do we have: the people, the material, the cash, the facilities? How do we access these resources?
4. What are the short term priorities: Sensitize and popularize this initiative to ALL stakeholders; identify target group of schools to work with on specific activities that would have the BIGGEST BUNG for the BUCK; define those activities we can initiate right away with the target groups of schools; develop resources – especially financing for these.
5. Management Structure and Approach: we need a vehicle that has a national outlook and global reach to drive this initiative.
6. Economic environment: what is it we can do to improve the economy of Gusii to provide jobs and employment
And we need a good vehicle to drive this initiative!
Yesterday, in this very hall, the team that was selected last year proposed, and it was accepted, that we launch a new initiative for advancing Gusii education. It will be called Gusii Education Advancement Resources – GEAR!
GEAR’s mandate will be international; it will embrace each and everyone keen on advancing Gusii education. It will embrace organizations like MKIDA, DELKA and all others that exist or may exist in thefuture. It will engage our leadership in Kenya – education leaders, politicians and teachers. In a word, GEAR will harness the effort and goodwill of all that are interested in advancing education in Gusii.
There is a song sang in Gusii about a bird, called egetinginye, which diligently prepares its nest to shelter it from rain and make a home for its young! Egetinginye is always forward-looking! In the same spirity, GEAR will help us become proactive and forward-looking in matters of education. The song goes thus!
Egetinginye ekeng’aini kerigia oboundi keagache
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Egetinginye ekeng’aini kerigia oboundi keagache
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye Baba
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
There have also been more recent songs. For example, the singer Nyang’au Bw’Onsoti – emansamu y’egetonto - sings about the value of education; in one refrain he regrets that he didn’t go to schools because when he is with his friends, he cannot understand what they are saying. For example when they say: “Thank you very much” he interprets it as “etangi eyio beria amache”
The singer wishes he were literate to understand the language; it is a worthwhile and important concern. You can say that he wants to be linguistically literate! Our community yearns for education; the need today, beyond linguistic literacy; it is to do with being functionally literate!
The fact is that we don’t query the value of education in Gusii any more; we know it; we have experienced it; we have seen its benefits; Another fact is that the nature of education counts: consider a child schooled in the world of hammers and nails; suppose this child is taught that whenever he sees a nail or something like it, he hits it with a hammer. Now suppose that we take the child out of that world and expose the child to other worlds with screw drivers and the like; the first instinct – to treat the screw driver as a hammer!
It means we need to reorient education. Part of that is embracing enterprise! I read somewhere that in America, for every one technical person trained, there are four business-related people! These are the people that take an idea and out of the idea create goods and services, which in turn provide employment.
The issues of Gusii Education are complex; they are intricate; they need a sophisticated approach; they need commitment; they need ownership; they need you and me; they need you as a child, a parent, a brother a sister; they need you as a politician; school teacher, headmaster and education officer; and yes, they need the Kenyan government.
And these issues of education cannot be divorced from the economic realities that exist today. We need economic opportunities for all those kids that drop out Standard 8, Form IV, Universities and Colleges! Our efforts in advancing education will come a cropper were we to ignore this reality.
In 1963 there was a rallying by the newly elected independence government of the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Kenyatta’s started a “back to the land movement” aimed at increasing agricultural production! Yaani turudi mashambani. The idea was that we all go work our shambas to feed the nation, sell the surplus and all would be well. There was even a song with a refrain going thus: Mzee kasema rudi mashambani hakuna vya bure! Mzee kasema rudi mashambani tuijenge Kenya
In 1963 there was fair land size holdings per family that one could turn to; contrast that with today, as you know, ense yaakirwe omoroka! Oboremo bwabeire chincherere. Gose inaki! In fact, if everybody in Gusii decided to work the land, there is NOT enough of it to keep our people busy enough, let alone feed all those mounts and stomachs in the region. As a friend, Edwin Okong’o said on another forum, Gusii is a giant urban landscape without associated urban infrastructure and services – no roads, piped water, sewage, etc.
This is NOT 1963! We need a new rallying cry. And as Mogusii said: gakiaborire ‘nchera rogoro, kerigerie ‘nchera maate! We need new thinking to find that ‘nchera maate. For example, how can we improve economic opportunities beyond what we have today?
World over tourism is a great money maker. Can we have tourism that taps into Gusii culture to showcase to the rest of the world? How about a Gusii museum of history and culture of Mogusii in which we could display such things as traditional iron works that allowed Mogusii to make metal implements for spears, hoes, arrows, etc. How about cultural industries that tap into our music, centred on obokano and songs of events like amabina. Gusii is blessed with good soils, despite the shrinking land sizes. Is there a way we could do food processing as added value to increase economic opportunities? Here I am thinking of much of the seasonal harvests that go to waste. How about an industry around the banana which is a major crop from our region? Can we learn from the Tanzanians and Ugandans who have learnt to add value, create jobs and increase economic gain for their banana farmers?
There are more possibilities for economic development. Suppose we diverted some of the money send home to ventures that could create jobs. Here is a good example: we consume a lot of cement and iron sheets for construction. Yet there is neither cement nor iron sheet factory in the region. Can our entrepreneurs get together and start one such factory? How about horticulture? With improved communications we could be airlifting flowers and French beans out of Gusii for consumption in Europe and North America. There is more. With the coming of the optical fibre, it is feasible that in future one can offer outsourcing services in Gusii for companies in the Western world! India has done it! The Philipines have done it. How about us in Kenya? And this doesn’t have to happen in Nairobi!
There is more that we can do! And we all need to think about these possibilities. Let’s us to remember that, as big a problem as it may be, nothing is insurmountable; and there is strength in numbers and that half the problem is solved if it has been fully defined. As we tackle this mammoth of an elephant, let’s imagine the end and the means to that end. Those means to the end must be consistent with age-old wisdom that if you give someone fish and they will come for more fish; however, if show them how to fish, and they will go fishing on their own.
The deterioration in our education did not happen overnight; I don’t expect that it can be solved overnight. So your task, my task and every stake holder’s task is to do the following: own this issue; evangelize about it and GEAR and MKIDA; embrace the vision to a better end; for without vision people perish; and if you don’t know where you are going, any road will lead you there! Contribute ideas, materials (money – e.g. for GEAR Awards). And also remember that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step.
MKIDA, GEAR and the entire Mogusii calls for your support; it is you and I and everyone that will make this a success.
Dr George Agoki used the correct term yesterday: we need an army of energetic committed people; we need foot soldiers with a mission to transform Gusii Education. That army is you and I; that foot soldier is you and I; with GEAR at the lead and supported by organizations including MKIDA, Mwanyagetinge and all other Mogusii organizations in the Diaspora and Kenya, we will win.
Also remember that there is no mountain to tall to climb; there is no problem to BIG for a committed army.
So let’s go forth and:Own this issue; let’s go forth and evangelize about it; let’s embrace the vision to a better end. And let’s support GEAR for a better education for our children; and for a better future for us and our country. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step.
Once more!
Egetinginye ekeng’aini kerigia oboundi keagache
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Egetinginye ekeng’aini kerigia oboundi keagache
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye Baba
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Embura egotwa geseo mwaye
Nyasae oyio!
Link: http://www.aganoconsulting.com/matunda/?p=131
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 16 August 2007 08:17 )
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Written by Kisii.Com Admin.
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Friday, 08 June 2007 16:20 |
As the clock ticks away to this years’ KCPE and KCSE examinations, anxiety and desperateness has gripped hundreds of candidates along the Gucha and Transmara common border following the resurgence of tribal clashes. Coupled with the teachers’ strike that enters its fourth week on Monday, the situation is making candidates, parents and guardians ask themselves whether it is prudent to hold KCSE examinations set to start on October 22. “Candidates are preparing for the exams on their own. Their teachers have walked out on them. As if that is not enough, fighting between Kisiis and Maasais forces them, especially boys to abandon their books to take part in the fighting in the name of defending their communities,” says a teacher at a local school. A candidate at a Gucha secondary school, Master Masese Mochanga says, “if asked my opinion, I would advise that the examinations be held in either February or March next year because by then we could have no more clashes and the electioneering period could have been over.” A parliamentary aspirant for Bomachoge Constituency, the worst clash-hit area, Mr Cyprian Nyamwamu, blames the police and a cabinet minister of failling to act. Nyamwamu adds that some politicians, especially in Transmara district are bent on causing tribal dispondency to scare away voters from other communities residing in the district perceived to be Opposition sympathisers. He says the Catholic Church is planning to hold joint services along the border as one way of promoting peace in the area. “We shall use the church services to preach about peace and unity among members of the two communities,” says Nyamwamu. Another Parliamentary aspirant for Bobasi Constituency, Mr Kepta Ombati says leaders should not exploit the ignorance of the voters by invoking tribal sentiments as a gimmick to win elections. He says a General Service Unity (GSU) camp at Nyangoso, another marketplace at the common boarder has not lived to the expectations of the locals as it has failed to ensure lasting peace. Ombati wonders why the clashes along the border always escalate during the electioneering period. He gives the example of 1992 and 1997 general elections. Ombati criticises Cabinet Ministers, Chris Obure, Julius Sunkuli and Bomachoge MP, Mr Zephaniah Nyang’wara for doing nothing to stop the fighting. He warns that the fighting will seriously affect the candidates as they prepare their examinations that will define the next step in the search for further education.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 01 July 2007 20:37 )
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Education
