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The government has been challenged to pump more money towards funding both basic and higher learning education following the increased cost of living that has seen prices for basic commodities skyrocket.

Juja MP George Koimburi noted with concern that education is no longer accessible to the poor as a result of the increased cost of living that has made lives unbearable.

He noted that most schools cannot cope with the increased cost of learning supplies while parents are now required to pay almost double school requirements such as uniforms, stationeries and bags, a situation that has been occasioned by the biting cost of living.

The MP regretted that while the cost of sending children to learning institutions has rapidly increased, the income of most parents has not changed for the better and as such, prompt interventions are required to cushion parents who are now required to dig deep in their pockets to facilitate increased school fees.

Speaking during a graduation ceremony at Gorgeous Technical Training Institute where over 500 youths graduated with certificates in short artisanry courses, Koimburi called on the government to increase education budgetary allocation in the upcoming supplementary budget to cushion struggling parents for smooth learning of learners.

Failure to cushion parents, Koimburi said, might cause increased cases of dropout which is unhealthy for the country.

“We are urging the government to increase education funding because the cost of living is very high. Food and other items used in schools are currently expensive and parents need to be cushioned. We do not need to start seeing dropouts,” the MP said.

His sentiments were echoed by Agnes Munyao, the institute’s head of departments who decried that the rise in school supplies has hit many households, especially the low-income segment, which is grappling with a high cost of food and essential household items.

Munyao called on government agencies and elected leaders to join hands to support learners in pursuing education without hitches.

She at the same time urged parents not to keep their children at home during the long holiday and instead enrol them on short technical courses such as beadwork, and mat-making among others to gain essential skills for posterity.

Munyao urged youngsters to take up marketable courses such as fashion and design, electrical and plumbing, hospitality, hairdressing and beauty, and entrepreneurship among others to enable them to meet the high demand for specialists in the country.

“We are urging parents to be cautious of the fact that idle minds are a devil’s workshop and as such, they should enrol their children for short courses to not only get them equipped but also keep them busy,” Munyao said.

She noted that the manual-labour courses are highly marketable as one can immediately secure a job upon completion and or start income generating activities and become an employer.

Graduates who pursued three-month courses in various technical disciplines said they had been technically equipped and were set to start income-generating activities which will keep them away from drugs and substance abuse.

The training of the over 500 learners was funded by George Koimburi Foundation in collaboration with Gorgeous Technical Training Institute with a view of empowering youngsters with technical knowledge to enable them to begin living meaningful lives by engaging in artisanry.