Matters compromising learning in rural areas such as Tongaren Constituency, Bungoma County, have come sharply into focus as Tongaren Member of Parliament John Chikati moves to confront deep-seated failures within the education sector while pushing for 100 percent transition.
From collapsing classrooms and crippling teacher shortages to empty libraries, delayed government funds, rising dropout cases and alarming sanitation gaps, the MP says the state of education in many public schools is nothing short of a crisis.
“Let us speak the truth. Our children are not failing — the system is failing them,” Chikati said, warning that continued neglect of rural schools risks locking an entire generation out of opportunity.
Chikati announced that schools facing critical infrastructure challenges will be prioritised, noting that in some parts of the constituency, learners are forced to study in overcrowded, unsafe and poorly equipped classrooms.
“You cannot demand results from children learning under leaking roofs and cracked walls. Infrastructure is not optional — it is the backbone of education,” he said.
The MP took a hard line on severe teacher shortages, describing the situation as an educational emergency that has overstretched teachers and robbed learners of meaningful classroom time.
“One teacher handling multiple classes is not efficient; it is educational cruelty. We are pressing the Teachers Service Commission to act,” he stated.
He further faulted the shortage of learning materials, saying many pupils in rural schools share textbooks or go without, placing them at an immediate disadvantage compared to their urban counterparts.
“When learners compete for a single book, excellence dies before it begins,” Chikati remarked.
Delayed disbursement of government capitation funds also came under sharp criticism, with the MP saying the delays have crippled school operations and pushed administrators into unsustainable debt.
“Schools are surviving on promises instead of money. Delayed funds translate directly into suffering for learners,” he said.
On school dropouts, the Tongaren MP pointed to poverty, long distances to school, teenage pregnancies and lack of basic facilities as key drivers pushing children out of the education system.
“No child should abandon school because they are poor, hungry or lack a safe toilet. That is a failure we must correct,” he said.
Sanitation emerged as a flashpoint, particularly in rural schools where inadequate toilets and lack of clean water continue to discourage attendance, especially among girls.
“A school without dignity is not a school. Proper sanitation keeps children in class,” he emphasized.
Firm on the goal of 100 percent transition, the Tongaren MP vowed to closely monitor enrolment and retention across the constituency.
“Every child who completes primary school in Tongaren must move to secondary school. No excuses,” Chikati insisted.
He said his office will work with the Ministry of Education, TSC, school heads and development partners to deliver fast, measurable reforms.
“This is about saving the future of Tongaren. If we fix education now, we change lives. If we don’t, we carry the blame,” he concluded.
Residents and education stakeholders have welcomed the tough stance, saying it signals a decisive shift toward accountability and action in rural education.
