Mandera Governor Khalif forms team to review ECDE and TVET learning
Mr Mohamed Adan Khalif displays his inauguration certificate after being sworn in as the Mandera County Governor on August 25, 2022. He has formed a team to look into ECDE and TVET learning in the county.
Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has formed a taskforce to review and propose reforms in the county Early Childhood Development, Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
This is a second taskforce in the county as another led by Prof Khama Rogo is looking into the problems facing the health sector and is expected to present its recommendation next month.
Mr Olad Ibrahim Farah will chair the Education taskforce and will be assisted by Ms Hope Muturi.
Dr Purity Muthoni Ngina is the secretary to the taskforce.
In a gazette notice, Governor Khalif said the team will engage Mandera residents, local education staff and stakeholders in reviewing the county legislation, policies and strategies on ECDE and Technical and Vocational education.
The team is expected to identify gaps in the sector and propose solutions.
“The taskforce will conduct a baseline on the status of ECDE and TVET in Mandera and review the status of the existing skills training program,” the governor said.
There are 312 ECDE centres in Mandera with a total of 23,497 learners. The county has at least seven village polytechnics that are underpopulated.
The taskforce will conduct a labour market survey of the skills gaps in the county and propose appropriate training programs.
Mr Khalif added: “The taskforce will assess the adequacy of the teaching and learning resources in the existing ECDE and TVET centres”.
The current status of the existing Islamic schools (Duksis) in Mandera will also be assessed.
Appropriate policy
“This taskforce will also help us explore the possibility of integrating Duksi and Early Childhood Development Education in the county and recommend appropriate policy prescriptions to achieve it,” Mr Khalif said.
The taskforce is expected to develop a capacity building strategy for Duksi teachers.
The taskforce will have to advise on measures to deal with the water, nutrition and sanitation challenges in ECDE and TVETs in Mandera.
The governor Khalif administration also wants to know how to achieve gender inclusivity in TVETS.
“It will develop a capacity building strategy for selected Technical and Vocational Colleges to offer education for sustainable development and to explore potential green skills courses to offer,” Mr Khalif said.
Opportunities to digitize TVET curriculum in Mandera will also be explored by the education taskforce.
The taskforce has 90 days to present recommendations to the governor.
Other members of the taskforce are Dr Hassan Kinyua Omar, Mr Muhammad Noor Hussan Hassan, Mr Ali Maalim Hassan, Mr Mahat Omar and Mr Peter Ngugi.
Others are Mr Joseph Mulupi, Ms Genevieve Wasonga, Ms Zahara Bashir Sheikh and Mr Hussein Hassan Mohamed.
The establishment of a second taskforce by Governor Khalif has caused mixed reactions from residents.
“We elected the governor to work for the people of Mandera and if he will be able to deliver from the recommendations of these taskforces then I support the idea but he should be fast in his implementation of the same,” Mr Hassan Ali, a resident said.
Ms Fazah Noor, opined that establishment of the taskforces was a waste of public resources that could be used in responding to the hunger situation in Mandera.
“The governor only needs to hire competent staff and form a team that will work on correcting the mess of the previous administration. Now, we are having two taskforces, a sign that every ministry will have a taskforce to develop a work plan. That will be so unfair,” she said.
