By Martin Mutua
Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo has published amendments to controversial Basic Education Bill that seeks to give churches freedom to run schools they sponsor.
At the same time, Mutula seeks to integrate madrassa, duksi and other pastoral programmes by various religious groups into formal education system.
According to the proposed amendments, which he has already filed with Clerk of the National Assembly Patrick Gichohi ahead of the debate in Parliament, Mutula has proposed a raft of changes following a meeting with various stakeholders.
Mutula told The Standard on Sunday that unknown to those who were criticising the Bill, he had already met with religious leaders and other stakeholders and as result taken into account their concerns.
The proposed amendments seek to give sponsors of schools role of spiritual development while safeguarding the denomination or religious adherence of others as opposed to maintaining of religious traditions as had been outlined in the original Bill.
The sponsors will also be responsible for offering financial and infrastructural support as well as appointing chaplains to their schools at their own costs.
Mutula is further proposing to introduce another amendment that will make it illegal for any school to throw out children because of failure to pay extra charges and that no person shall collect levies without issuing an official receipt.
Birth certificate
The minister also seeks to amend the Bill to give parents the right to participate in character development of their children.
If the amendments sail through, the age at which a child can be admitted for basic education would be four years as opposed to just determining the same by use of birth certificate.
Mutula also seeks to outlaw holiday tuition through an amendment that states no pupil shall be subjected to extra studies whether paid for or otherwise.
The minister has reduced proposed penalty for parents who fail to take their children to school without any reasonable grounds from Sh1 million to Sh500,000.
For the first time, if the Bill goes through, there shall be established National Council for Nomadic Education.
The council will, among things, be charged with initiating development of policies on all matters relating to nomadic education.
It will also be charged with function of determining standards and skills to be attained in schools and institutions within nomadic communities and review such standards from time to time.
