The Kiambu County government has pleaded with the national government to help in the reduction of adult illiteracy in the County by hiring more teachers for adult learners.
Thika West Sub County Adult Education and Continuing Education Officer Mr Francis Kariuki said that the county is currently hit by an acute shortage of adult learners’ teachers.
He attributed the problem to retirement of five teachers in the course of 2015 which left the county with a few teachers. He pointed out that other three teachers are due to retire in 2016.
Speaking in his office in Thika town on Tuesday, Kariuki stressed the importance of education saying it is the main pillar of nearly everything in human life.
“Education is one of the factors that will facilitate achievement of vision 2030 because an educated population is more responsive and productive than an illiterate one,” he explained.
He added that due to the current illiteracy levels in the county, most youth and women are unable to involve themselves effectively in economic activities such as forming and registering companies in order to benefit from the government directive that at least 30 per cent of government tenders to supply goods and services be awarded to the youth and women.
“Most of the youth and women have no knowledge in what to invest in and even in basic requirements such as opening bank accounts and managing the same due to illiteracy,” Kariuki observed.
He announced that in an effort to minimise adult illiteracy in the county, the adult education department is set to open two secondary schools for adult learners who want to improve their academic grades or standard eight leavers who want to sit for ‘O’ level.
He said the schools will be adult friendly since the duration is only two years and that they also allow the learners to continue with their daily work as they pursue their studies.