SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING ST. PAUL'S HIGH SCHOOL, KEVOTE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS, EMBU, 26TH JUNE, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you on this auspicious occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of St. Paul's High School, Kevote. This is an important occasion that gives stakeholders of this school an opportunity to celebrate the progress they have made over the last 50 years and to reflect on the challenges ahead. I am encouraged to note that this school has grown rapidly over the years to its current student population of 718 boys. Records available show that since 1960, 7,622 students have passed through this institution.

I want to commend teachers, parents and other stakeholders for the progress that this school has recorded over the years. I also urge teachers to improve on the teaching and learning processes by employing new and innovative methods. This will enable students from this school to compete successfully with other students not only nationally but also globally. Allow me to also take this opportunity to commend the Catholic Church for the major role it has played in the development of this school as a sponsor. The active participation of the Catholic Church is a confirmation of the Government's policy of encouraging communities and other partners to supplement Government efforts in the provision of education.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you are aware, my Government introduced Free Primary Education in the year 2003. Besides Free Primary Education, the Government further implemented the free tuition Secondary Education in 2008. Towards these education programmes, the Government, in partnership with other development partners, has disbursed 54 billion shillings to over 18,000 public primary schools and 34 billion shillings to 5,300 public secondary schools. I am happy to note that this school has received over 11 million shillings for implementation of the free tuition Secondary Education programme and will receive a further 7.4 million shillings for the current Financial Year. These policies and financial commitments are a clear indication of the Government's commitment to the education sector.

As a Government, we appreciate that the future development of our nation and the well being of our people will largely depend on the education policies that we pursue. As part of this overall education policy framework, my Government is committed to providing Quality Education and Training for Development. In this connection, we are laying emphasis on the development of each individual for productivity in society.

Through the sector wide approach to the planning process, the Government, through the Ministry of Education is closely working with other education stakeholders to promote quality life-long education, training and research for Kenya's sustainable development.

We are also placing special emphasis on the integration of Information, Communication and Technology in our education system. ICT will form the basis of how we compete in the 21st century. We must, therefore, keep pace with the fast growing information and communication technologies. I challenge teachers across the country to embrace recent innovations in education and particularly utilize the enormous teaching and learning opportunities provided by computer usage in schools.

I am happy to note that the use of E-learning in schools today is expected to grow due to the rapid fall in the price of computer hardware, the expanded electrification programme, the development of the fibre optic cable network and the development of the Internet. This has opened a host of new possibilities not conceived a decade ago.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am aware that the shortage of teachers in our schools is a challenge we must deal with. Nationally the shortage of teachers stands at approximately 43,000 in primary schools and 23,000 in secondary.

We appreciate that of all the resources required in education, the teacher is most central and the Government will take the appropriate measures to address this challenge.

Through the District Education Boards and Schools' Boards of Governors, and alongside other measures, the Government will continue to employ competent teachers annually to replace those who leave employment through natural attrition. I encourage our teachers to work hard as the Government seeks to address the problem of the shortage of teachers.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I note that for the last two years, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders have been organizing the National Secondary School Leadership Conference. This year, over 1000 students drawn from different districts met at the Bomas of Kenya and discussed issues pertaining to conflict resolution, governance, drug and substance abuse. Other topics for discussion included rights with responsibilities, career development mentorship, HIV and AIDS, talent development, morals and ethics in schools.
I call upon the Ministry of Education to study the resolutions from the conference and generate appropriate policies to address issues brought out by the students.

As highlighted during the discussions at Bomas, I urge students in our schools not to engage in drug abuse, alcohol and other social vices. Instead, students should cultivate a strong learning culture that emphasizes hard work, personal discipline and integrity.

With these remarks, I once again congratulate St. Paul's High School, Kevote on your Golden Jubilee celebrations and wish you well in your future endeavors.

Thank you and God bless you all.