CS Magoha puts parents on the spot over teen pregnancies

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha during the 2019 Nairobi County Dialogue on Education Quality at Nairobi Primary School on July 31, 2019. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Prof Magoha accused parents of of abdicating their responsibility of advising their children on the dangers of engaging in early sex.
  • Speaking at the University of Embu after launching the International Youth Week, the minister told parents to start mentoring their children as part of efforts to prevent these cases.
  • CS Magoha noted that the government is committed to ensuring all children have access to education.
  • On the matter of merging some universities, the CS said "politicians should leave me alone to do my work".

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha on Tuesday blamed the rising cases of teenage pregnancies on negligence by parents.

Prof Magoha accused parents of of abdicating their responsibility of advising their children on the dangers of engaging in early sex.

Speaking at the University of Embu after launching the International Youth Week, the minister told parents to start mentoring their children as part of efforts to prevent these cases.

"When teenagers get pregnant they drop out of school and their life is wasted. Parents should be responsible enough and and regularly advice their young ones," he said.

ACCESS

CS Magoha noted that the government is committed to ensuring all children have access to education.

"Children can't access education when they are forced out of schools due to early pregnancies," he said, further noting that some are impregnated by their teachers.

"It is a shame that teachers are also impregnating school girls. They will be roasted in hell forever."

QUALITY

On the new competency-based curriculum, the CS said the government is working hard to implement it.

"The curriculum is a good one so it must be fully implemented," he said.

On the matter of merging some universities, the CS said "politicians should leave me alone to do my work".

He accused some parliamentarians of misleading the public on the matter and told them to stop politicising education.

On July 29, Prof Magoha dismissed vice-chancellors of public universities who are opposed to the merging of institutions in the wake of financial crises.

While addressing media practitioners in Nairobi, he insisted that it is the quality of education that matters, not the number of institutions.

EMPOWERMENT

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia advised youth to venture into agribusiness to earn a living.

"Youth should be aggressively involved in agribusiness to make money instead of idling," she said.

Embu Governor Martin Wambora said his administration had set aside Sh10 billion to empower unemployed youths in the county.

He also said his government had established a youth empowerment centre for school leavers to nurture their talents.