Lamu, KENYA: Lamu East MP Athman Shariff has called upon the government through the Ministry of Education to consider sending all successful KCPE candidates to national schools outside Lamu to enable them to get exposed to the outside world.
The MP says the current state of national schools in the county is wanting and that there is a need for general infrastructure in the schools to be greatly improved to reflect their status which is not the case at the moment.
Speaking in Lamu on Monday, Shariff called on the national government to help upgrade national schools in Lamu first before allowing them to admit students.
Lamu county has only two schools that were elevated to national status and they are Mpeketoni Boys and Lamu Girls High schools.
The MP says that since the two schools are still not yet well equipped to the required level, there is a need for students admitted to national schools from Lamu to be admitted instead to national schools in other counties as the situation is looked into.
He said it was unfair and unfortunate that bright students continue to be admitted to the schools which he feels cant help them realize their full potential due to being ill-equipped.
Shariff called on education stakeholders in Lamu to work towards ensuring that students deserving national schools are admitted in institutions outside Lamu county.
“When a child from Lamu scores 350 marks, that is the biggest achievement for us.You cant take such a student and admit them in Mpeketoni boys or Lamu Girls just because they were recently elevated.Stakeholders must ensure our kids also get admitted to the best schools out there.We have the likes of Lenana, Alliance,Mangu and the rest.Let’s have children from Lamu getting admitted there too.We shouldn’t limit our kids to schools here.National schools in Lamu need improving first,” said Shariff.
The MP also appealed to parents in the region to embrace the education culture and send their kids to schools to enable them to be able to cater for themselves in future.
