In Kenyan, harsh penalties awaits parents for not taking their children to school

Kenyan senate has just concluded debating a bill that proposes to fine parents slightly more than a 1000 dollars or face one year in prison for not taking their children to school by the age of three. According to a report by the Standard, the County Early Childhood Education Bill seeks to ensure all children access education so as to discourage parents and guardians from sending kids to school immediately they turn three. Admission fees and entry exams for joining early childhood education centres have been removed in the new bill to allow for easier access to education. The bill aiming to regulate and restore order in early learning is looking to reforming nursery schools which are bombarded by high fees, unqualified teachers and unclear education standards.
Nursery school teachers will now be required to have diplomas from recognized institutions contrary to current teachers who are basic certificate holders and even some school drop outs. The staff will also be required to have a certificate of good conduct and a medical certificate that shows that they are of sound mind. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) which recruits and regulates teachers in Kenya will also be given the mandate to instil professionalism in the nurse school teaching faculty.
“The teaching staff must be registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and recruited as teachers or care givers by the early childhood education recruitment committee,” reads the Bill.