Interior PS Dr Omollo: Tackle School Dropouts To Reduce Delinquency, Early Marriages

NAIROBI Kenya, May 7 -Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo has urged the academicians to deal school dropout which has been blamed for increase in crime and a lifetime of missed opportunities.

Dr Omollo yesterday challenged the dons to step up and take a more engaged role in solving social and economic issues, particularly the imposing school dropout dilemma.

According to the PS there were growing concerns over worsening attrition rates, which not only led to poverty, social exclusion and ill health but also crime and delinquency.

“These attrition rates are becoming worse each year, and there is a clear nexus between dropout rates and crime rates as well as social disadvantages. This pattern is also perpetuating a cycle of poverty among these young people” he said.

Dr Omollo, who was speaking during a meeting with Nyanza dons drawn from various institutions of higher learning across the country, also said the young dropouts also led to early marriages.

He noted that there was a gaping social distance between the scholars and the young people, a trend that has limited the latter’s access to role models and support for academic development.

“We have this gap between young people and our professors and academic doctors. It is a serious impediment to sharing of knowledge, ideas, and experiences, which are some of the critical ingredients for intellectual growth and academic progress,” he said.

The PS further prescribed a data-driven approach to tackling the issue and present viable solutions.

He urged the dons to analyse statistics on the rates of dropouts at every level, right from primary school up to higher education and, as a matter of urgency, propose strategies through which the problem can be upended.