Education reforms run into headwinds due to underfunding
Education reforms run into headwinds due to underfunding
It is already becoming apparent that the idea to increase funding for primary and secondary schools has not gained traction one year after President William Ruto’s education reforms were introduced.
The recommendations are found in a report that was sent to Dr. Ruto by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER) task force on August 2, 2023.
Some of the proposals were put into action right away by the President.
Concerns about the lengthy delays to the ambitious plan to reform school funding, however, have surfaced as stakeholders lament the ongoing battle with underfunding.
Collins Oyuu, secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), told The Standard on Monday that “the recommendation to increase funding to schools should have been implemented is long overdue, just like the changes in university funding this should have been given prominence as well.”
The report also recommended for a second level of funding to school that would provide a flat-rate funding to schools meant to take care of day to day operations.
In the report, Free Primary Education – which is a brainchild of Kenya’s third President the Late Mwai Kibaki- was set to receive increased funding since 2003.
The programme has over the 20 years received Sh1,420 per leaner and was never reviewed under President Uhuru Kenyatta,
However, the proposed reforms recommend a Sh818 increment on the amount to Sh2,238.
The comprehensive model of education suggests a funding review every three years, although the primary school funding model hasn’t been reviewed since 2003.
According to the new funding model, students in junior secondary schools would receive Sh15,043 in capitation, while those in senior secondary schools would receive Sh22,527.
In addition, increased funding is anticipated for schools to manage daily operations.
The Kenya Kwanza administration committed to give a flat-rate fund but varying on the level of school that will be referred to as a minimum essential package.
The essential package will be distributed as follows: Sh70,200 for pre-primary, Sh536,880 for primary education, Sh1,632,120 for junior school, Sh1,890,000 for senior school and Sh2,060,940 for special needs education.
“If we had implemented the recommendations of the presidential working party we would have gone a long way in sorting out the school funding mess,” said Willy Kuria, chairman, Kenya Secondary School Heads Association.
According to Kuria, schools are struggling as the government has failed to even provide the amount that was earmarked for the Free Days Secondary Education.
“We have been receiving Sh17,000 as capitation for the past five years and this has slowed down a lot of activities as we can only manage the bare minimum,” Kuria said.
The situation has forced some principals to seek alternatives to keep the schools afloat with increasing fees above the amount set by the Ministry of Education being the preferred option burdening parents and guardians.
In primary school, heads are also sounding a warning over the fragile state of the Free Primary Education programme, which they indicate has been stretched and risks collapsing due to underfunding.
Johnson Nzioka, the head of the Kenya Primary School Heads Association, disclosed that this year, primary schools are only receiving funding for the first term, even though there is still one month left before the second term ends.
Even though the universities are getting ready to close for the August holiday in less than a month, Nzioka stated, “This means the institutions have not received funding for second term.”
As schools got ready for a three-day midterm break, the government distributed Sh36 billion in capitation money for the second term of this academic year in June.
The intended uses of the funding were junior secondary, secondary, and free day programs.
Under the free day secondary education scheme, secondary schools will receive the majority of the cash, or Sh19 billion.
Primary schools will receive Sh2.74 billion, while junior secondary schools would receive Sh14 billion.
