TVET PS Esther Muoria on the spot for skipping Parliamentary Committee for Education forum
The Parliamentary Committee on Education has expressed concerns following the absence of Dr. Esther Muoria, the Principal Secretary (PS) at the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education (TVET), from a crucial sitting held on September 19, 2023.
The Committee was primed to seek the PS’s views on the implementation of Education reforms.
The Committee, chaired by Tinderet lawmaker Julius Melly, noted that the PS, who is reportedly out of the country, failed to grace the event despite a formal invite.
She reportedly also did not send an apology to the Clerk of the National Assembly.
In addition, the Committee which has Malava MP Malulu Injendi as its vice-chairperson and lawmakers Phylis Jepkemoi (Moiben), Julius Manaiba (Igembe North), Anne Wanjiku (Gatundu North), Rebecca Tonkei (Narok Woman Representative), Nabii Nabwera (Lugari), and Abdul Ebrahim |(Mandera South) among its members, observed the PS also skipped three sessions including one in which she was to shed light on the delay of releasing results of recruitment of TVET trainers.
“Education affects millions of our children who are seeking skills to be able to improve the growth of our economy and it is therefore important that those handed the responsibility of handling this sensitive docket take it seriously,” observed one of the Members of Parliament.
The lawmaker added that TVET reforms are at the heart of the government’s Bottom Up Economic Transformational Agenda, with President William Ruto recently stressing the importance of education institutions to ensure the availability of competent skilled human resources to drive the economy.
Despite Muoria’s absence, Dr Bellio Kipsang PS Early Learning and Basic Education, and Dr Beatrice Inyangala, PS University, and Research graced the event.
But the lawmakers postponed the TVET session until a time when Muoria will be available.
The session, which took place at the Sun n Sand Beach Resort in Kikambala, happened days after President Ruto directed the three State Departments and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in the Ministry of Education to implement the report on the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
The Principal Secretaries, alongside Education Cabinet Secretary Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, were expected to make a presentation on the recommendations and highlight measures put in place to implement them.
The report provides a raft of measures to streamline operations and enhance quality, relevance, access equity, and governance of all the sub-sectors of education namely – Early Learning and Basic Education; Technical Vocational Education Training; University Education plus Research and Teachers Service Commission.
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