The government is planning to release a whooping sh. 9.6 billion towards junior secondary education this month.
Primary school headteachers who are now acting as Principals for junior secondary schools will be incharge of the funds together with their Boards of Management (BOM).
This move will give Sh15,000 per learner as capitation to facilitate free learning for Junior Secondary in public schools.
Also sh 4,000 will go towards improving the school infrastructure. The Ministry of Education through a circular will give a breakdown of how the funds will be used.
Already the National Treasury on Friday, February 3 released Sh2.7 billion to benefit the beneficiaries of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu said in a press statement that the funds will be used by some 180,000 students in public and private universities to offset tuition fees ahead of end of semester examinations.
“The funds have been sent to HELB for further disbursement to eligible students who are preparing to sit their end of semester examinations for the 2022/2023 Academic Calendar,” said Machogu.
In junior secondary preparations books worth Sh3.2 billion were dispatched to all public schools hosting junior secondary learners.
They are composed of more than 17 million textbooks in all learning areas and over 400,000 teachers’ guides.
Some schools are however yet to receive books for all learning areas A number of schools reported to have received books for only two learning areas.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu noted that the move was aimed at reducing the education cost burden for parents.
“I wish to reiterate that each of the Grade 7 learners in public schools will be issued with a textbook in each of the core learning areas at Junior Secondary School and the optional subjects that they will choose,’’ said Mr Machogu.
Machogu cautioned heads of schools from charging any levy to students in Junior Secondary warning that such cases will be met with harsh disciplinary measures.
‘‘President William Ruto has directed that the National Treasury set aside Sh15,000 per learner as capitation to facilitate free learning in all public schools. In total, the Government will spend Sh9.6 Billion for the learners in Junior 6 Secondary Schools this calendar year,’’ Machogu said.
‘‘It, therefore, means that no school should charge any fees for Grade 7 learners unless such schools have boarding wings. Prohibition of public schools from charging any admission fee for any Grade Seven learner due to the 100 per cent transition policy in the same school where the learners were enrolled in Grade Six.’’
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development CEO, Charles Ong’ondo said learners in all public primary schools will have books in the 12 compulsories and two optional learning areas.
‘‘The weight the government has carried for all the learning areas and the optional ones, the government supplies a book for every learner in every subject, starting January 30.
Ong’ondo says, even with the government buying the books, it will not restrict schools to mandatory books.
‘‘The other books will still be available to the learners to buy because the other books we have approved are okay,’’ he stated.
