Kwale parents urged to prioritise education over weddings

Kwale residents have been called upon to prioritize and embrace education in a bid to raise living standards of the county.

Taita Taveta University Vice Chancellor Professor Hamadi Boga said parents in the county have put more effort in weddings and shunned their responsibilities to educate their children.

“We have our priorities upside down. A parent would rather stay with an educated child at home and avoid the shame that comes with lack of good food at the wedding,” he said.

He said that residents spend much money contributing to weddings and give little or nothing to school fees fundraisers.

He was speaking during the prize giving ceremony of Leisure Rondwe Jaralam Girls High School, which was among the top performing in last year’s KCSE examinations. The school managed to have 23 out of 30 girls attaining the mark for joining a university.

Professor Boga stressed the need for good cooperation between teachers, parents and students in order to sustain the institution that caters for bright needy students.

Gombato Bongwe MCA Omar Boga asked parents to ensure that the little cash they are to pay is paid through bursaries from different quarters.

He said the school has done the county proud for taking over 60 girls to universities only two years after inception.

He called on investors in the hotel industry, which is the economic main stay in the county, to help come up with such projects to boost the education sector in the county.

The finance manager at Leisure Lodge Hotel, which is the main sponsor of Rondwe Girls, Hutchison Shungula said that they have managed to sustain the school with little revenue from conferences and urged parents to play their part when called upon.