Nairobi — National examination invigilation exercise for thousands of learners is in limbo after the National Treasury reduced the 5 Billion budget allocated for the 2024 school examinations and assessments.
The State Department of Basic Education has registered 2,284,017 learners for 2024 national examinations and assessments for learners in Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
In the breakdown given before the National Assembly Education Committee, assessment is required for 3,544,256 learners in this academic year.
Close to 1,264,842 Grade 3 learners have registered, 1,313,913 learners registered for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and 965,501 for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
“The funds are utilized to cater for supervision and invigilation as well as examiners costs. We therefore request for the reinstatement of Kshs.5.023 billion to ensure that assessment are undertaken in line with Government policy on free and compulsory basic education,” PS Belio Kipsang told MPs.
-School Capitation-
In the revised estimates, the allocation for Special Needs Education was omitted which portends that schools categorized under Special Needs Schools will miss out on funds over Sh622 million deficit.
Also affected is the allocation for Junior School capitation after the budget was slashed by Sh15 billion from Sh46.5 billion to Sh30.66 billion.
This is despite increased enrollment of 3,289,450 learners up from 2,170,429 set to enroll from January to June next year.
The enrolment of Secondary School education students has also been affected as only Sh63.8 billion has been allocated against Sh76.6 billion requirement which means the capitation for learners will be reduced from Sh22,244 to Sh18,757.
“If learners are to receive full capitation of Kshs.22,244 as per the current policy, then 1.381,100 learners will not be funded in Term III of 2024 academic year and 372,270 learners will not be funded in Terms I and II in 2025 academic year,” PS Kipsang said.
Capitation refers to the grant in tuition fees the government gives to every learner in its mandate to actualise the Right to Education in Kenya.
The government began the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme in 2008, granting capitation per learner.
Capitation is sent to schools in three trenches in a year, where schools receive 50 per cent of the amount per learner in the first term, 30 per cent in the second term, and 20 per cent in the third term.
Following revelations by the Ministry of Education, parents may be forced to deeper in their pockets to fill the deficit gap as the running of operations in learning institutions has been stifled.
With the government facing a cash crisis school principals have warned that they will increase school fees and drop some school activities due to financial constraints.
School management have complained about the high prices of foodstuffs and failure by the government to remit capitation money in full, and in good time.
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