Good role models help girls excel in Nyanza says education officials

THURSDAY, 29 DECEMBER 2011 00:06 BY RAMADHAN RAJAB

Joyful this year’s KCPE second best candidate nationally Crispin Herbert Karanja who scored 441 marks with his mother Rebecca Karanja at his former school Brookfield Academy in Karatina town of Nyeri County yesterday.Wambugu Kanyi.JPG

EDUCATION officials in Nyanza province have attributed the success among girls in the just released Kenya certificate of primary education to efforts by role models in improving girl child education in the province.

Nyanza director of education Geoffrey Cherongis said the excellent performance and the increase of gender parity is as a result of efforts mounted by role models in the province.

He said, professional women under the banner of Nyanza Women Education Initiative (NEWI), contributed significantly towards the improvement of girl’s education that was threatened by extinction in some communities.

NEWI was co-founded by Microsoft director Mark Matunga and the Kenya Literature Bureau managing director Eve Obara to mentor girl child education in the province.

The programme's major aim was to keep girls in schools by tackling social issues such as FGM and molestation from male teachers.

Cherongis said, the success among girls in the province in the just released examination results was due to the efforts made by women professionals and other well wishers.

According to statistics released by education minister Sam Ongeri, Nyanza was among the provinces that increased its gender parity with the ratio of girls to boys standing at 55: 47 this year from 39: 61 between girls and boys in 2010.

NEWI alongside Siwindhe (girls’ gatherings), were among the programmes proposed by Nyanza education taskforce to restore the dwindling education in the province.

 Obara who started the programme says it is an important intervention in bridging the gender disparity in school dropout rates and performance in national examinations. “The programme has shown the missing links in improving the performance of girls in schools in Nyanza and there is need to replicate it to cover more schools," she said.

The main aim of Siwidhe is not only to improve the performance of girls but also to help retain them in schools, given the high dropout rates.

Cherongis said the programme has tackled issues like early marriages, poverty, cultural beliefs that girls were meant to do domestic work, and unfriendly environment and lack of female teacher counsellors contribute to poor performance and high dropout rates among girls.

This year top KCPE pupil in the province is Lorraine Adhiambo who is number 10 nationally. She is seeking help from donors to start a primary boarding school and girls rescue centre that would cater for girls from local communities.