Free Education: Treasury releases Sh16bn to schools
Basic Education Pricipal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang.
The Ministry of Education has set itself a Wednesday September 20 deadline to disburse Sh16 billion to public primary, junior and senior secondary schools that had been struggling to keep them running with nearly three weeks into the last term of the year.
This is a reprieve to Principals and Headteachers who have been struggling due to the irregular release of capitation to run the education institutions.
According to the Ministry of Education Junior Secondary schools will receive Sh1.7 billion, Free Primary Education get Sh1.5 billion.
Free Day Secondary Education has the lion’s share of the allocation, with Sh12 billion set aside as capitation funds.
“To ensure the normal running of all school activities, the Ministry of Education has received Sh12.2 billion as capitation funds from the National Treasury for disbursement to learners in the Public Primary, Junior and Secondary Schools,” said Basic Education, Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang.
Dr Kipsang assured schools that the funds will be wired to respective schools' accounts by September 20, 2023, to facilitate the smooth delivery of targeted learning activities.
“A detailed breakdown of the funds and guidelines on their prudent utilization have been dispatched to schools in line with government regulations. In the Financial Year 2022/2023, the Ministry of Education fully disbursed a total of Sh89.4 billion as capitation for Primary, Junior and Secondary school learning,” said the PS in a statement.
Schools opened for the third term three weeks ago amidst financial challenges biting the education institutions with high cost of living forcing suppliers to deny Principals in boarding schools food supplies.
The situation was so dire that the Principals told Nation that some suppliers had blacklisted some schools and cut links due to huge debts.
Most secondary schools are struggling with debts including school fees arrears running to millions. The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairperson Mr Indimuli Kahi said schools especially day schools which are dependent on government funding have been suffering.
At the same time, the PS said schools will close from October 27, 2023, to pave the way for the National Examinations season.
“All schools that opened for the Third Term of the 2023 academic calendar on August 28, 2023, are scheduled to run until October 27, 2023, to pave the way for the National Examinations season,” said Dr Kipsang.
The PS Kipsang warned Ministry of Education field officials and institutional administrators not to allow any school activities involving parents and other stakeholders during the Third Term to allow for adequate preparations ahead of the National Examinations that are set to start on October 30, 2023.
Dr Kipsang warned all the field officials from his ministry and institutional administrators against hosting school activities involving parents and other stakeholders during the Third Term. This is to allow for adequate preparations ahead of the National Examinations that are set to start on October 30, 2023.
The government banned school activities involving parents in the third term to also curb examination malpractices.
At the same time, the PS said all schools that opened for the Third Term of the 2023 academic calendar on August 28, are scheduled to run until October 27, 2023, to pave the way for the National Examinations season.
Thousands of candidates in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will start their examinations on October 30 and run up to November 2023.
