Migori:The Parliamentary Committee on Education organized a public participation forum at Migori Teachers Training College to collect opinions from stakeholders on proposed education bills and amendments concerning school funding and administration.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Committee Chair and Tinderet Member of Parliament, Julius Meli, assured participants that all feedback from the forum would be carefully considered in the development of the proposed amendments. The forum in Migori is the penultimate stop in a series of county visits, with Nyamira County as the final destination.
Six education bills are under consideration, including The Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, the Basic Education Bill, and the Kenya National Educational Assessment Bill. A significant point of contention at the forum was the operational independence of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), which divided primary and secondary teachers’ unions.
Henry Otunga, KUPPET Branch Organising Secretary for Migori, advocated for the administrative independence of JSS, stating the current joint framework is insufficient and hinders operations. He also emphasized teachers’ rights to picket during national exams as protected by the 2010 constitution.
In contrast, Roseline Wandigi, KNUT chairlady for Migori, opposed the separation of JSS from secondary schools, arguing that shared management ensures seamless transitions within basic education.
The forum also saw stakeholders objecting to a proposal for County Education Boards to be chaired by County Commissioners, viewing it as a move toward militarizing educational institutions. They insisted that education governance should remain with professional education administrators.
Philip Nyonjalo, Secretary of the Tertiary Institution Migori branch, called for excluding teacher training from the basic education framework, advocating for student access to Higher Education Loans Board funding and reclassification of tutors under the Teachers Service Commission as public servants.
The session was attended by representatives from key educational groups, including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) leadership.
