Former students are set to join the boards that govern public schools for the first time under a proposed law that also seeks to slash the size of school management teams.
The Basic Education Bill, 2025 proposes to bring alumni into school Boards of Management (BOMs) to strengthen their ties with their former schools and drive development.
Additionally, the Bill seeks to cut the membership of BOMs from the current 14 regular appointed members plus up to 3 additional co-opted members to a maximum of nine, in line with the State Corporations Advisory Committee's Mwongozo Code of Governance, which advocates leaner boards.
Education Ministry Director-General Elyas Abdi told the National Assembly Committee on Education that the changes are intended to make boards more efficient and reduce the cost of governance, as board members are paid sitting allowances.
"Currently, the composition of BOMs is 14 members, but now we are cutting them down to nine in line with the Mwongozo Code because they earn sitting allowances. What we currently have is a crowd, so we want to limit the membership," Dr Abdi said.
The proposed law, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, also formally recognises alumni associations by allowing every basic education institution to establish one.
If MPs approve the Bill, each comprehensive, primary and senior school board will include one person nominated by the institution's alumni association, alongside representatives of parents, sponsors, persons living with disabilities, professionals, the County Director of Education and the head of the institution.
"If we have representation of a school's former students on the boards, there is that sense of belonging and, in our considered opinion, such representation will be useful," he told the committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly.
The proposed legislation comes at a time when many public schools increasingly rely on former students to finance infrastructure projects, sponsor needy learners, mentor students and support academic and co-curricular programmes.
Notably, representatives of the teaching staff and the students' council have been removed from the BOM composition, while parent representation has been reduced from the current six members to two.
Changes to the BOM composition were informed by the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, which found that student representation on boards was impractical given the sensitive matters discussed during board meetings.
"We figured schools have different ways of engaging students and getting their opinions through suggestion boxes, barazas, interactive forums, house masters and class teachers. From these channels, we can get their views," Dr Abdi said.
He explained that having bona fide students on the BOMs was found to be untenable because issues of discipline and finances are discussed there.
He added that the ease with which information can leak, alongside other considerations raised through consultations with school heads and the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party, informed the proposal to exclude bona fide students from the boards.
Under the Bill, members of BOMs will serve a three-year term, renewable once, while each board will establish a five-member executive committee comprising the chairperson, the secretary, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) chairperson and two other board members.
Boards will be required to meet at least once every four months and submit annual reports to their respective County Education Boards.
The proposed legislation retains the BOMs' core responsibilities, including overseeing the management of school resources, advising on staffing needs, determining disciplinary cases involving learners, promoting learner welfare and safety, recruiting non-teaching staff and supporting quality education.
