Mombasa Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi during stakeholders education meeting, January 17, 2018. [Photo/Dr William Kingi]Mombasa Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi joined other education stakeholders in a consultative meeting with the Ag Education CS Fred Matiang'i. The meeting that brought together stakeholders from across the six coastal counties focused on addressing the challenges facing the education sector in the region especially the low transition rates from primary school to secondary school and the failure of students to report to the schools they are called to. Kingi presented a report on the causes of the situation in Mombasa saying it had become a trend for students to disregard the opportunities offered to them in the first intake. "Most parents fail to enrol their students in National and extra provincial schools due to negative prejudicial opinions regarding the religious and cultural standings of such schools, they feel that mixing with students from other religious and cultural backgrounds may compromise the religious ideals of their children," said Kingi.He noted that some parents also have the fear of loosing sight of their children."They would do all in their capacity to have their children study around them rather than in the schools they were selected to join; they fear that a change of environment may impact negatively on the health and moral conduct of their children."During the meeting on Wednesday, the deputy governor said Mombasa county has only two boarding boarding schools which were recently elevated to national school status, and they admit students from all over the country and as such the space for admitting locals is reduced. "Most local students are therefore left to scramble for positions within the day county and sub-county schools and as such have to commute to school everyday an exercise which is irksome and expensive; parents therefore opt to enrol their children in schools around their homes to cut on the costs."Kingi gave another contributing factor to the situation, citing the desire of parents to enrol their students in highly performing schools as opposed to the schools they are called.Parents therefore disregard the calling letters and undertake a school hunting exercise in the few schools believed to be centres of excellence, he said. "Most students fail to take up their spaces due to the intense lobbying by private schools; luring sharp students with incentives such as scholarships and discounted fees to join their schools. These students therefore join the private schools and forfeit their chances in the schools they were selected to join."Kingi as well cited poverty, saying it is also a major contributor to the low transition rates where a child cannot afford fees to join secondary school or the school he/she has been called to he/she may forfeit that chance.In addressing these challenges, the deputy governor said the county government of Mombasa in collaboration with other stakeholders would increase the allocations for the county bursary kitty to ensure that no student stays at home because of school fees."We would also urge the parents to have a total change of attitudes towards schools outside Mombasa and allow their children to further their education in the schools they are called to."He also urged the government to ameliorate the infrastructure of local schools, improve the staffing levels and as well upgrade more day local county schools to boarding schools.

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