Catholic Bishops lay claim
to slots in education boards
By Anchor Reporters
The Catholic Church is staking a
claim to be represented in Kenya’s National Education Board.
Catholic bishops, as they laid
their claim, faulted the Basic Education Bill 2012, citing its composition of
the Selection Panel for the National Education Board and the church’s
representation on the County Education Board.
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| Cardinal Njue, addressing the media in Machakos |
Twenty eight Catholic Bishops
meeting in Machakos demanded for fair representation on the Selection of the
National Education Board and the County Education Boards, saying there must be
a sense of proportion in the stake that the church holds in Education
“We sponsor one third of all schools in Kenya and
thus we demand for fair representation in the two Boards”,, said a statement
read by Cardinal John Njue of the Nairobi Archdiocese.
The Bishops were meeting at the
St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre,Katoloni for four days for their Kenya Episcopal
Conference.It is the first time that it was being held in Machakos.
In a signed statement read by Cardinal Njue, the bishops said the
Bill can not assume the church’s massive investment in education in
determinging who would be represented on the boards.”The Church has invested
heavily in education infrastructure, human resources and presence even in the
very marginalized places in the country”, they charged.
On land, the primates said most
of the catholic sponsored schools are on land owned by the church or land held
in trust by the church for the community. “The Bill must ensure that the
ownership rights of the religious sponsors are recognized and respected as per
the Constitution”, said the statement.
The church said it will not
allow the government to take over its land under any pretext because it is
against the spirit and letter of the constitution.
The Bishops also
supported Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo’s ban on holiday tuition in schools
“Teachers should complete syllabus during the terms and allow children to go
home and relax over the holidays instead of subjecting them to round the clock
learning. This is a wake up call for parents. They have a role to play in
bringing up their children and this can only be done during holidays”, said the
Bishops
