Speaking at the 45th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) summit in Mombasa on Wednesday , the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta told teachers to expose students to the many ways they can earn a lot of money and not to limit them think of only office jobs.
The President added that teachers should inform learners of other blue collar jobs like farming and welding which pay significantly more than white collar jobs like teaching and others.
In a statement the president said, “Start moving away from telling our children that the only job you can have is a white collar job. That he should be a clerk in a bank, banks are going digital!!,Today as we progress in ship building we are looking for quality welders and the few that we have are old men. These are paying jobs.”
He further advised that learners should be encouraged to use their talents, citing the example of billionaire Bill Gates, who he claims dropped out of school and amassed a large fortune through his abilities in the market place.
He mentioned that under his leadership, many opportunities in the education sector have been created, and that he should be commended for it.
The President also told the school heads that his administration is focused on reforming the education system.
In another statement he indicated, “To ensure no child is left behind due to their social-economic background, my government has increased capitation per child in secondary schools to Sh22,244,” He went on indicating that the government has partnered with Equity Group Foundation and awarded 9,000 scholarships for the 2019 KCPE candidates and an additional 9,000 scholarships for the 2020 candidates who joined Form 1 in July 2021.