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The Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers have urged county governments to make pre-primary education free to boost enrollment.

Trained Eye Teachers Association (TETA) national chairman Lawrence Otunga said high fees charges and poor remuneration of teachers are a  hindrance to the development of the critical sector.

 According to the 2018 United National Development Programme (UNDP) report, 69 per cent of children do not enrol for pre-primary (nursery) school in Kenya.

Compulsory learning

 “Parents are charged in most schools and they therefore, choose to stay with children at home until they attain the age of six, then join Grade One which is free and compulsory,” said Otunga.

 He added that ECDE being a devolved function has been neglected by most county governments.  

“A few teachers in most counties have been employed but earn peanuts which are intentionally delayed by most employers,” he added.

Otunga said this demoralises teachers hence affecting the quality of teaching in most schools.

Otunga decried that low enrolment is detrimental to the government’s 100 per cent transition policy introduced in 2017.