Declining Birth Rates Linked to Falling Public School Enrollment in Tharaka Nithi.
Tharaka Nithi County Director of Education (CDE), Ms. Bridget Wambua, has attributed the declining enrollment in public schools to the decreasing number of children being born while the number of schools remains high and closely situated.
Responding to recent media reports on Nyagakairu Primary School, which is on the verge of shutting down due to low student numbers, Ms. Wambua explained that several public institutions, including some day secondary schools, currently have very few learners.
She pointed out that Nyagakairu Primary School in Magumoni Ward, which has only three pupils, is located near other public primary schools, one of which is less than a kilometre away, contributing to its low enrollment.
The County Education Director highlighted that there are multiple public schools, at least one in each sub-county, with fewer than 20 students, including some secondary day schools. This, she said, was a result of communities building numerous schools despite the declining birth rate.
“There are quite a number of other public schools with at least one in each Sub-county with an enrollment of less than 20 learners including some day secondary schools due to the fact that the community built many schools yet the number of new born children is going down,” noted the County Education boss.
Challenges of Running Under-Enrolled Schools
While acknowledging that operating schools with such low student numbers is financially unviable, Ms. Wambua stated that staffing schools is the mandate of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Therefore, she was not in a position to determine the exact number of teachers assigned to each school.
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Speaking to the media today from her office in Chuka Town, she noted that the trend of declining enrollment in public primary schools is evident not only in Tharaka Nithi but potentially in other regions as well.
However, she clarified that this issue does not extend to public boarding schools, which continue to admit students from outside the locality and even from other counties.
Declining Birth Rates Linked to Falling Public School Enrollment in Tharaka Nithi
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