Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said that the government will build at least 1,600 science laboratories to make sure every school in the country has one.
The Deputy President spoke at the Jamhuri High School during the celebration of 120 years of the school’s existence.
He said the laboratories will students especially those who pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) their preferred pathway in Senior Secondary School an equal chance.
“We now have resources also to provide laboratories for 1,600 schools across Kenya where our children do not have laboratories because you cannot do CBC when you have schools without labs, and the first time they see a Bunsen burner or a microscope is the examination day, and you expect that children, that child to do anything in science,” Kindiki said.
He noted that so far, the government has built 15,000 classrooms across the country, with plans to add another 7,000 classrooms in the next one year.
“We are in the process, in the next one year, to build an additional 7,000 classrooms to bring to a total of 23,000 classrooms, mainly for grade nine and other grades, to make sure that we take care of the physical facilities.”
The DP said Kenya Kwanza is on course to perfecting the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
As part of the reforms, Kindiki said that the President William Ruto-led administration has employed a record at least 76,000 teachers in two years.
He said no other administration has done that.
He added that in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto, they had pledged to employ at least 116,000 teachers over five years.
“We are carrying out major education reforms for the last quite a number of years, and we are working to perfect the CBC program, to make sure that it takes our students and learners to a place where they can have a fighting chance in a very complex, demanding, challenging and competitive world.
“No other government, no other administration, has employed that number of teachers in two years. The manifesto of Kenya Kwanza is to bridge the gap in staffing, in our education,” Kindiki added.
During the Jamhuri High School celebration, the DP also presided over the launch of a Sh120 million Endowment Fund in 120 days.
The fund will be used for infrastructure development, student bursaries, and the establishment of a Digital Hub, among other projects.
