Relief to Schools As Education CS Makes Major Announcement
Relief to Schools As Education CS Makes Major Announcement
Relief to Schools As Education CS Makes Major Announcement
According to the ministry of education in order to address disbursement delays, capitation funds will no longer be distributed to schools quarterly as they have been. Instead, the system will change to a ratio structure starting this year.While officially opening the 46th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Conference on Wednesday, June 28, in Mombasa, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu announced that going forward, capitation will be distributed in the ratio of 50:30:20 for the first, second, and third terms, respectively.“The delay in the payment of capitation is one of the urgent concerns that we need to address. I am aware of the difficulties and restrictions that these delays place on the activities in your schools, he remarked.
“We are working hard to streamline the disbursement systems, using cutting-edge technologies and automated processes to expedite the flow of funds,” he continued. This modification will make sure that monies are distributed more fairly over the course of the year, enabling schools to better plan and allocate resources.
Machogu also emphasised how crucial it is for schools to acknowledge receiving capitation payments because failing to do so will prevent them from receiving the subsequent installment.
Machogu advised boards of management (BoMs) of schools to start providing their institutions with the resources necessary to efficiently handle various pathways as it relates to the transition to Senior Secondary Schools under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
As you know, we are establishing three unique courses for our students in senior secondary education: Arts, Sports Science; Social Sciences; and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). These pathways will give students the freedom to select a profession that fits with their interests and career goals while equipping them with specialised knowledge and abilities, according to Machogu.
“In this regard, the Boards of Management in each of your schools need to get started on planning for the pathways that will be available at their establishments in the following two years. Let’s provide our schools the resources they need to help children succeed in their chosen industries and discover a world of opportunities,” he continued.
Additionally, he urged the County Education Boards to rigorously follow the registration requirements in order to ensure an effective and affordable process that does not unduly tax the government.
The measures will ensure accurate data and facilitate efficient resource allocation, benefiting both schools and students, said Machogu, adding that schools operating with certificates under Cap 211 must seek re-registration. Machogu also stressed that schools whose characteristics, such as enrolment status, number of streams, or school category, have changed, must undergo re-registration.
“It’s critical to give neglected areas top priority and to guarantee that all students, no matter where they live, have access to high-quality education. Let’s cooperate to level the playing field and give each youngster the resources they require for success’, he said.
The CS instructed the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) to work with the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission, KESSHA, and Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) to speed up the capacity building of the Boards of Management (BoMs) for all schools in order to improve governance and accountability in our schools.
Machogu claims that the action will increase the ability of the governing bodies to perform oversight functions, mobilise and ensure responsible use of institutional resources, and ensure efficient curriculum implementation.
The CS ordered all schools to set up tree nurseries for their own use in creating wooded zones in their compounds and to give tree seedlings to the local people both close to the school and elsewhere.
In order to strengthen school-community ties and inspire communities to participate in President William Ruto’s goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, he also instructed them to have enough land to support forested zones, which they will do by setting up tree nurseries to distribute tree seedlings to communities and teach the students about managing tree nurseries in the process.
The second-largest aim after the State Department for Forestry, the State Department for Basic Education intends to use educational institutions to help achieve this agenda by planting 200,000,000 tree seedlings year, according to Machogu.
The CS underlined that the government shall eliminate early exposure to the examination papers by examining the gathering methods of examination materials in order to keep tightening the noose on the criminals who keep evolving their cheating practises in the national examinations.
Instead of collecting all of the papers for the day at once in the morning, the centre managers will now collect papers in the morning and afternoon. The Ministry will also increase the number of containers in the large counties to effectively implement the reviewed procedures and ensure sound management and control of examination materials moving forward.
