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Jomvu's race against absenteeism to revitalise secondary education

Jomvu MP Badi Twalib in Jomvu at a past event. (Star)

By Farhiya Hussein | Saturday, February 3, 2024

The MP said the trend of students registering for school but disappearing until the day of exams affects the constituency perfomance.

In a race against the clock, education stakeholders in Jomvu Sub-County are diligently working to tackle the pressing issue of secondary school absenteeism.

The detrimental consequences of this challenge are unmistakably reflected in declining student performance, prompting urgent and collaborative efforts to implement effective solutions.

Badi Twalib, the area MP, raised the alarm during a scholarship issue event in Mikindani Ward, where he presented full scholarships totaling Sh3 million to 75 kids, 23 of them were in Form One and the rest were in Form Four.

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Maimuna Omar, the Sub-County Director of Education, expressed support for the thoughts. After evaluating three secondary schools, they saw an unnerving tendency.

The sentiments were supported by the Sub-County Director of Education Maimuna Omar. After evaluating three secondary schools, they discovered an unsettling pattern.

Omar claims that the random assessments they conducted in the secondary schools in Miritini and Jomvu Kajembe produced astounding results.

In every class, from Form One to Form Four, more than 100 pupils are not enrolled in school. She stressed how crucial it is for parents to support their kids' attendance at school, particularly in light of the MP's investments in school facilities made possible by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Although students in primary schools often perform well, secondary institutions present a difficulty. Some people sign up, but then do not show up for the entire school year.

Omar questioned parents, asking why they allowed their children to stay at home while they were candidates. She emphasised that attendance at school is required for all students, not just those taking exams.

The Jomvu MP Badi Twalib said they faced a significant challenge together with education officers while visiting various schools and discovered that over 200 students at Kadede High School and 32 at Jomvu Girls Complex have not reported.

“Despite the common blame on teachers, we acknowledge that it is not the school heads instructing the children to stay at home. We want to shift the blame away from the school leadership and emphasise the collective responsibility of parents,” he said.

The MP said the trend of students registering for school but disappearing until the day of exams affects the constituency mean scores.

“We have decided that those unwilling to attend school will be known, we will have a private examination centre, ensuring individual accountability. No more paying fees only to find students absent during rehearsals. We will review each case and cover fees for those genuinely committed to their education,” added MP Twalib.

Jomvu education stakeholders have devised strategies to address the issue, noting that they will not allow the constituency's performance to suffer.

“Parents, it's our collective responsibility to ensure our children go to school. Let us collaborate to shape our children for a better future, as they will, in turn, support us as parents when they grow up,” urged Twalib.