The government has so far disbursed Sh57.4 million under free primary education programme in Juja area, area sub-county director of education John Owino has said.
He said that further the government had disbursed Sh17.6 million as bursaries to assist bright students from poor background in secondary schools this year.
Mr Owino who was speaking during a education stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday held in Senate Hotel in Juja said that the funds had gone a long way in enhancing education in the area and at the same time removed the burden of providing for their children in primary schools from the parents.
The director also recalled that Sh3.2 million shilling had also been received from the government and under Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ASAL) funds that had benefited students from Kalimoni wards which is a semi-arid area and has the characteristics of ASAL.
Owino said that the district had a shortfall of 195 teachers adding that the situation will be more complicated after 55 teachers will retire from the service at the end of this year.
He urged parents to engage qualified teachers who were unemployed to cover the shortfall as they wait for the government to recruit more teachers.
The DEO said that the community should try and get a solution to the biting problem of understaffing especially in primary schools adding that problem could adversely affect education in the sub-county.