Majority of children from families in Machakos County perform poorly because their parents do not practice family planning.
This is according to Victoria Mutiso, the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) Regional Coordinator, compromises education in Upper Eastern where most parents are allegedly, still ignorant of the family planning concept.
Mutiso who was addressing parents and teachers of St. Paul's Primary School in Athi River Town on Thursday during a parents meeting said such parents are not capable of effectively providing for their children due to the children they sire.
She noted that in most of the families, children are not able to go beyond form four if, by good chance, they manage to get through their primary education.
Mutiso said depending on the economic status of the families, majority of the parents were unable to provide basic needs for their children thereby making education sound as a tertiary need.
She said that statistics reveal that families from Machakos County with many children had problems in educating them.
The coordinator said the children, if taken to school, in most cases lacked basic education requirements such as presentable school uniforms, shoes and stationery which can promote their education.
She said this situation leads to child truancy with some dropping out of school or terribly failing in examinations since they in most cases feel not fit to be in same classes with children from well-organised families.
Mutiso called on parents from the region to adopt available family planning methods to give birth to children who they can take good care of and give best education for best futures when they grow to adults.