PS Carren Ageng'o calls for stronger child protection in ECD schools

County governments have been urged to adopt integrated child protection policies in Early Childhood Education (ECD) schools to ensure all children thrive in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment.

Speaking in Garissa town during the 6th National ECD stakeholders conference, the Principal Secretary for the state Department of Children Welfare Services, Carren Achieng Ageng'o, called for strengthening child care and safeguarding children from violence through an ecosystem that supports shaping the future of learners at ECD schools.

"We need to bring up children who will develop this country economically, and the child's foundation matters. From birth to the age of eight years needs emotional growth free from neglect and violence," said Ageng'o.

Ageng'o emphasised how unsafe children cannot learn, play and participate in meaningful development. She cited a 2019 survey where 1.4 million children under five years in Kenya lacked quality care, nutrition and stimulation, and one out of two children were experiencing violence. She further noted that one in every five girls in the country was facing sexual violence, adding that most of these cases were often hidden since they were occurring at schools and homes.

The PS observed that over 60 per cent of those currently held in prison are sexual offenders, a situation that she says is worrying.

On child neglect, she stated that the majority of the parents were neglecting their children, resulting in high cases of missing children aged one to five years.

"In the year 2024, 8,824 cases of missing children were reported, and only 2,336 were reunited with their families," she revealed.

She said the national government was currently implementing a national care reform strategy, a positive parenting programme, a national male engagement framework, child protection management courses at the Kenya School of Administration and a nutritional initiative of cash transfers with parental support, where, together with partners, the cash transfers are piloted with 180,000 households in 25 counties.

She called upon parents to take advantage of the child protection management courses, adding that children required parents to have skills in bringing them up with dignity.

She also stated that the government was working towards unveiling prevention and responsive programs against online abuse, including the provision of a safe online guideline book.

Other Topics To Read

• Education
• ECDE
• CBC
• CBE
• ECDE mandera
• CBC pathways
• CBE curriculum
• ECD
• PS Carren Ageng'o calls for stronger child protection in ECD schools
• Headlines

Ageng'o expressed concern about national statistics, where only 76 per cent of children aged between three to five were currently enrolled in ECD schools in Kenya.

"30 per cent were left out and disadvantaged; we need to be concerned and collectively engage on ensuring our children are in schools," she said.

She encouraged the ECD stakeholders to focus on informal settlements and the rural population with the provision of quality ECD education, nutrition, protection and strengthening the workforce capacity, child care training and infrastructural development.

The Director General of Basic Education in the Ministry of Education, Dr Eldas Abdi, highlighted the need for the county governments to adopt the scheme of services for the ECD teachers.

The Director, who appreciated the support of partners in the ECD sector, also urged the county governments to ensure ECD teachers were performing and giving learners the quality education they deserved.

"We should not consider the ECD being devolved as a separate institution; they need to be supervised by the school heads managing the primary and Junior secondaries, which host the ECD centre," he encouraged.

Garissa County Commissioner, Mohamed Ramadhan, urged ECD stakeholders to ensure the sector is locally anchored and ensure the communities are supported having adequate resources.

"Child growth begins at the community level; they need proper healthcare, access to water. Policies and programs thrive when resources are available at the grassroots level," he said.

He called upon the pastoralist communities to ensure children with disabilities and girls were enrolled in the ECD schools.

According to Garissa Governor Nathif Jama, there is a paradigm shift in the ECD sector with the inception of devolution.

"The majority of the ECD learners were schooling under trees, especially in the ASALS region, at least devolution brought life to the sector, and we are still determined to achieve more," he said.

The governor, who earlier officially launched a modern ECD school at Hyuga Girls School in Garissa town, assured the ECD stakeholders that he will share the resolutions made during the conference with the Council of Governors for implementation.

Themed 'Promoting Transformative Systemic Change in a Child's Eco-system', the conference brought together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and advocates from various sectors to advance ECD in Kenya.

The conference is expected to end on July 17, focusing on key themes including leveraging community pillars, indigenous child-rearing practices, and technology for early learning.