Former President Daniel arap Moi has asked Kenyans to be confident and believe in their abilities to be the best in all they do.
“For Africans to attain what they want, they should introduce education at the formative stages of their children, which will lead to self belief and confidence,” he said.
The former President asked the Government to hire more teachers and increase the number of schools as a way of improving quality of education.
He said fruits of the free primary education introduced in 2003 may not be realised if the current number of education facilities is not increased and schools improved.
“Most public schools enroll more than 40 pupils in one classroom. This undermines the teacher-pupil relationship hence compromising on results,” said Moi.
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He was speaking yesterday at Moi Primary School-Kabarak during the school’s prize giving day.
He said available schools should be equipped with modern equipment including electricity connectivity and construction of access roads.
“Gone are the days when Africans were believed to be uneducated. Kenya should strive to attain world class literacy levels.Let us encourage our children to go to school. The government should build schools even in distant remote districts,” he said.
Moi presented gifts to the 2014 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education best performing candidates. The school board of management also awarded him with a prize for sterling leadership as patron of the school founded 24 years ago.
The former Head of State moved visitors to stitches when he sang an old love song — My Sweetheart — which he said reminded him how colonial teachers regarded education as the ultimate key to success during his school-going days.
Goretti Jepng’etich and Simiyu Phil-Blair who scored 433 and 422 marks respectively to emerge the top girl and boy at the school have been admitted to Alliance Girls High School and Nairobi School.
The school chairman, Henry Kiplagat, lauded teachers and pupils for setting a new record.
“I congratulate the teachers and the candidates of the year 2014 for setting a new school KCPE record of 379.18 out of 500 marks, thereby breaking last year’s record of 378.50,” said Kiplagat, who is also the Kabarak High School Chief Principal.
More than 21 pupils in the school attained above 400 marks in last year’s results making it the best school in the region.
The ceremony coincided with the unveiling of Moi Primary-Kabarak school magazine which was co-produced in partnership with the Standard Group.
Kanu Chairman Nick Salat, a parent at the school, said quality education was needed if Kenya is to achieve Vision 2030.
“We need more students to join universities in the future because education is one of the key objectives of the vision 2030,” said Salat.
