Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi has directed county staff with teaching background to volunteer and teach children in primary and secondary schools.
He said the exercise will be coordinated by the county department of Education.
Speaking during a one-day meeting he convened on Saturday and which was attended by county staff, and local leaders, Abdi said the arrangement was open to anyone who can offer voluntary teaching services.
The meeting came after the Teachers Service Commission recalled more than 900 non-local teachers who have been targeted by the al-Shabaab thugs.
Abdi said in the past five years 2,300 non-local teachers left because of insecurity.
He said while they do not celebrate the death of any individual, they wondered why only teachers leave.
“As we speak today, over 80 primary schools have virtually no teacher and about 15 secondary schools are almost closing. This situation has left thousands of children without education and is an infringement to their constitutional right to access quality education. As leaders, we have tried and won’t tire to ensure our children access quality education,” said Abdi.
During the meeting, the leaders promised to review the current bursary policies and allocate over 70 per cent to those pursuing diploma and degree in education.
They also agreed to soon convene an education stakeholders’ forum where participants will be expected to come up with sustainable, homegrown solutions to the crisis.
Governor Abdi said the volunteer would begin by mobilising and registering all past KCSE students with prerequisite qualifications and willing to join teaching colleges and universities.
“As your leader, my government would do everything possible to ensure that within the next five years we have adequate teachers both in primary and secondary levels. We shall develop strategies to give education priority in our bursary and other resources together with other elected leaders,” the governor said.
He said his government will work towards establishment of a teachers training college in Wajir.
The chairman, county education board, Ibrahim Dahiye, said there was need for the local leadership to develop strategies to give education priority in bursaries and other resources.
“Time has come for all of us to critically think about this matter. stop the rhetoric and act fast, come up with workable solutions both short and long term. We are trying to secure the future of our young ones and generals to come,” he said.
The meeting comes two weeks after the county secretary, Abdullahi Maalim, through a memo, directed all county staff with teaching backgrounds to return to the classroom to teach.
In a memo dated February 10 to staff who have served as teachers, county secretary Abdullahi Mohamed asked them to transfer their services to the classroom. It was copied to Governor Mohamed Abdi.
