Schooling stays bottom of the class

A nomadic lifestyle and schooling do not marry easily for the pastoral Turkana.

Most of the school-going children in the semi-arid land spend their time either looking after animals or walking long distances in search of water.

Some of those who obtain education end up in towns like Lodwar as they find life in the manyatta unbearable.

Sex discrimination in schooling, especially against girls, is rife as many Turkana consider it to be a waste of time and resources.

In any case girls are a source of wealth with many married off as early as 15. It is no surprise to find affluent men having more than four wives, a sign of status in their society.
Some children whose families have no animals to look after or who cannot afford to send them to school end up as street urchins in such towns as Lodwar, Kitale and Eldoret.

But an intensified effort by the Government, religious groups and NGOs has in the recent past seen increased school enrolment.

The improvement of such schools as Lodwar Mixed primary, with more than 1,200 children, and Moi High in Kalokool has helped to boost education standards.

Lodwar High has for long been regarded as a prestigious school that has produced key leaders including Labour minister John Munyes, Turkana Central MP Ekwee Ethuro, and East African Legislative Assembly MP Christopher Nakuleu among others.

An acute shortage of teachers, insufficient learning materials, a nomadic lifestyle and early marriages are some of the factors contributing to a high level of illiteracy among the Turkana.

“Understaffing, lack of water and electricity supply and food shortages are some of the factors contributing to low academic standards in most schools in this county,” said Mr Samuel Erekudi Nawoi, deputy head at Moi High, Kalokool.
The mixed secondary school with 208 students is one of the academic centres of excellence in Turkana County.

Centres of excellence

“Laboratories in most schools in the county are ill equipped while most of them have no computers. Water shortage and high food prices are other challenges that face most schools in the area,” he said.

“Long distances from one school to another and nomadic lifestyle interrupts the smooth learning process, contributing to a low enrolment rate,” said Mr Patrick Muriira, the District Commissioner for Turkana West.

Most schools in the area are experiencing acute shortage of teachers as a majority of staff are unwilling to serve in hardship zones.

“Some schools with a population of more than 400 pupils have fewer than 10 teachers, which means too high a workload and low academic results,” said Mr Joseph Kanyiri, the District Commissioner for Turkana South.

The Government recently introduced a forceful education programme in the North Rift to boost education among pastoralists.

The programme being implemented by the Provincial Administration, the Ministry of Education, religious bodies and NGOs rewards youths who stop cattle rustling and surrender their weapons to embrace education.

They are given uniforms and learning materials and on some occasions sponsored to boarding schools.

The project has seen a high school enrolment rate in Turkana and has been copied in other areas, including Pokot and Samburu counties.

“The county government needs to allocate sufficient funds to equip schools with adequate learning materials and to encourage parents to value the education of their children,” commented Mr Timothy Kikete, the head of Lodwar Mixed primary.

And Mr George Otieno, the principal of Lodwar High added:

“The county government should incorporate academic and human resource development in its growth agenda in order to improve the socio-economic standards of the locals”.