The Government has undertaken to address problems hampering access of children to equitable quality education in Arid and Semi-Arid areas in the country.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu made the commitment when he metthe members of Kenya Pastoralist Parliamentary Group (KPG) in his office Wednesday.

The Patron of KPG, Ali Raso Dido, who led  the delegation, said that prolonged drought in the area has adversely affected delivery of education services in pastoral communities.

He said school feeding programme in ASAL areas helped to attract and keep children in school.

However, teacher shortage in the area has compounded access to quality education.

The CS said the government has established the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya to provide structures and support education in all ASAL and marginalised areas.

He said the government runs the School Meals Programme which he said helps to attract and retain children and are able to learn in the area.

According to Machogu, the government is exploring ways of providing opportunities for prospective teachers from the area, training and deploying them to the region to address the severe teacher shortage in the region.

He also revealed that the Ministry of Education was working with the Ministry of Water to dig boreholes in schools in the region to enable learners to secure reliable sources of water while at school.

The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Basic education, Dr. Belio Kipsang allayed fears that children from pastoral communities were denied opportunities to be admitted in national schools.

“The top five KCPE candidates from every sub-county are admitted into schools of their choice,” Dr. Kipsang said adding that the policy has ensured that top learners in KCPE can be admitted into national schools from each sub-county.

The Principal Secretary for University Education and Research Dr. Beatrice Inyangala advised the members to sensitize their constituents about the scholarship the ministry provides in partnership with foreign governments.

She said the ministry received scholarships for bright students but only those who applied for them were considered.