Public secondary schools will not get additional funding, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said.

Prof Magoha, while presiding over the opening of the 44th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) conference in Mombasa yesterday, said the Government had not factored in the budget increased funding for schools.

Secondary school principals meeting at the Kenya School of Revenue Administration had hoped the Government would give their schools more funds.

Magoha said at 35 per cent the ministry was already getting the highest allocation of the national budget, which is why the Government did not consider additional allocation to capitation grant for schools.

Instead, Magoha urged principals and the Parents, Teachers Associations to look for ways to address challenges facing schools. “One of the options would be to ask the middle class in the society to contribute voluntarily towards running of schools,” Magoha said.

He added: “My ministry is already getting a chunk of the national budget. As a matter of fact, some of my Cabinet colleagues feel the allocation should be reduced.”

Kessha had presented Magoha with a memorandum in which they asked the Government to increase the capitation grant by 21 per cent to support operations of the schools.

Kessha chairman Kahi Indimuli said schools had been operating on a budget deficit of more than 11 per cent over the last three years and warned that it could affect quality as the Government implemented the policy of 100 per cent transition of children from primary to secondary schools.

Magoha said the only other funds schools would get were for employing intern teachers to support the 100 per cent transition programme. He said the money had been captured in this year’s budget.

On the CBC roll-out, the CS said there was no turning back. He urged critics, including Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), to come on board, adding that at least Sh1.2 billion had been allocated in this year’s budget for implementation of CBC.

He said he had monitored implementation of CBC and that pre-primary and primary school teachers were doing a good job. He asked the principals to get ready for CBC. “I’m asking critics to offer concrete suggestions on how to improve CBC. The system will continue”.

Public secondary schools will not get additional funding, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said.

Prof Magoha, while presiding over the opening of the 44th Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) conference in Mombasa yesterday, said the Government had not factored in the budget increased funding for schools.

Secondary school principals meeting at the Kenya School of Revenue Administration had hoped the Government would give their schools more funds.

Magoha said at 35 per cent the ministry was already getting the highest allocation of the national budget, which is why the Government did not consider additional allocation to capitation grant for schools.

Instead, Magoha urged principals and the Parents, Teachers Associations to look for ways to address challenges facing schools. “One of the options would be to ask the middle class in the society to contribute voluntarily towards running of schools,” Magoha said.

He added: “My ministry is already getting a chunk of the national budget. As a matter of fact, some of my Cabinet colleagues feel the allocation should be reduced.”

Kessha had presented Magoha with a memorandum in which they asked the Government to increase the capitation grant by 21 per cent to support operations of the schools.

Kessha chairman Kahi Indimuli said schools had been operating on a budget deficit of more than 11 per cent over the last three years and warned that it could affect quality as the Government implemented the policy of 100 per cent transition of children from primary to secondary schools.

Magoha said the only other funds schools would get were for employing intern teachers to support the 100 per cent transition programme. He said the money had been captured in this year’s budget.

On the CBC roll-out, the CS said there was no turning back. He urged critics, including Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), to come on board, adding that at least Sh1.2 billion had been allocated in this year’s budget for implementation of CBC.

He said he had monitored implementation of CBC and that pre-primary and primary school teachers were doing a good job. He asked the principals to get ready for CBC. “I’m asking critics to offer concrete suggestions on how to improve CBC. The system will continue”.