Government allocates Ksh. 656B for education sector

The government has proposed a total allocation of Ksh 656.6 billion or 27.6 pc of total expenditures to the Education Sector.

This includes: Ksh 358.2 billion to the
Teachers Service Commission, Ksh 142.3 billion
for Basic Education, Ksh 128.0 billion for Higher
Education and Research and Ksh 30.7 billion for
Technical Vocational Education and Training.

While delivering the annual budget Thursday afternoon in Parliament, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndungu said the allocation to the education sector includes: Ksh 9.1 billion Free Primary Education, Ksh 61.9 billion for Free Day Secondary Education, Ksh 30.7 billion for Junior Secondary School Capitationas well as Ksh 5.0 billion for examinations fee waiver.

In addition, CS proposed an allocation of Ksh 13.4 billion for conversion of 46,000 Junior Secondary School interns to Permanent and Pensionable terms, Ksh 1.3 billion for the training of teachers on Competency Based Curriculum and Ksh 360.0 million for the Digital Literacy Programme and ICT Integration in our Secondary Schools.

Infrastructure

In his speech, he acknowledged government’s efforts in investing in the education sector to improve outcomes and create a level playing field for all children.

• To support infrastructure. development and ensure safe learning in schools, the CS proposed an allocation of:
• Ksh 3.2 billion for Primary and Secondary Schools’ infrastructure
• Ksh 1 billion for construction of class rooms for Junior Secondary Schools
• Ksh 2.3 billion for construction and equipping of Technical Training Institutes and VocationalTraining Centres.

Further, CS Ndungu proposed Ksh 11.1 billion for the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Program, Ksh 1.8 billion for Construction of Integrated Resource Centers, and Ksh 1.5 billion for Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project.

A total of Ksh 1.1 billion was proposed for Research, Science, Technology and Innovation.

Loans and scholarships

On University funding the CS said: “The Government is implementing the new funding model for public universities and TVET institutions through provision of Government scholarship and loans apportioned according to student’s needs.”

The new funding framework, he said, seeks to offer students whose households are at the bottom of the
pyramid equal opportunity in accessing university
education as well as technical training.

He proposed an allocation of Ksh 35.9 billion to the
Higher Education Loans Board for provision of
loans to University and TVET students, Ksh 16.9
billion for Scholarship for University Students as well as Ksh 7.7 billion Capitation and Scholarship
for TVET students.