Education leaders in Kaloleni Sub-county, Kilifi County, have appealed to parents to ensure their children continue with school after completing Grade Six.
The call was made during the launch of a campaign aimed at identifying and returning out-of-school children to the classroom. The initiative is led by the area’s Head of Education, Josephine Lomata, who urged parents to take full responsibility for their children’s education.
“We have discovered that some children drop out of school after the Grade Six assessment. Many of them end up hawking with their parents,” said Lomata, noting that an estimated 10 percent of children in the area are not attending school.
Kaloleni Deputy County Commissioner Kyalo Kaloki warned that legal action will be taken against parents who fail to comply with the campaign.
“We will conduct door-to-door visits, and if we find a child at home who is supposed to be in school, we will take action,” Kaloki said.
His sentiments were echoed by the area head teachers’ association chairman, Onesmus Matheka, who raised concerns over the declining number of students transitioning to secondary school.
“We are seeing a significant drop in the number of students being registered in secondary schools, and this is alarming,” said Matheka.
The campaign seeks to enforce school attendance and ensure all children in Kaloleni have access to education, especially under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).