Senators Push Counties to Hire More ECD Teachers as Parents Feel the Pressure

Parents are increasingly being forced to hire additional teachers for their children as staffing shortages continue to affect Early Childhood Development centres.

The concern was raised by the Senate Education Committee during a visit to ECD centres and vocational training centres in Machakos County.

Counties Urged to Speed Up Hiring

Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu called on the county government to accelerate the recruitment of ECD teachers to ensure classrooms are adequately staffed.

Kavindu said parents should not be left to shoulder additional teaching costs because counties had not provided enough teachers for public ECD centres.

She said discussions with the governor and County Executive Committee member for Education indicated that recruitment was already underway.

However, she urged the county administration to speed up the process so that more teachers could be deployed to classrooms.

ECD Feeding Programme Raises Concern

The senators also raised concerns over interruptions to the feeding programme serving children in some ECD centres.

The committee was informed that some learners had reportedly gone for nearly a month without receiving meals during the current school term.

ECD learners are expected to receive meals including rice, beans and porridge as part of programmes designed to support their wellbeing and participation in learning.

The committee said regular feeding was particularly important for children from vulnerable families, where school meals can support attendance and concentration in class.

Senate Backs Investment in VTCs

Beyond ECD centres, the committee also inspected vocational training centres across Machakos County and assessed their infrastructure and programmes.

Senate Education Committee Chairperson Betty Montet praised the county for investing in modern facilities and encouraged more young people to enrol in vocational training.

Montet said the approach of admitting learners from different sub-counties demonstrated an effort to expand access to practical skills.

The committee said stronger investment in both ECD and vocational training would help improve foundational education while preparing young people with skills relevant to employment and economic opportunities.

ECD remains a devolved function, leaving county governments responsible for key areas including teacher recruitment, infrastructure, learning materials and feeding programmes.