Learning in schools could be paralysed due to Ksh43 billion deficit for Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE), Junior Secondary School (JSS) and invigilation of examinations.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said there is need for the sector to be properly funded to ensure there is quality education for all.
Appearing before the education committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julias Melly that is considering the Budget Policy Statement (BPS), Kipsang regretted that the FDSE is the most affected as it has a funding gap of Ksh21.85 billion as the sector was only allocated Ksh54.88 billion out of a total requirement of Ksh76.73 billion.
The implication of the shortfall he said will see 982,197 students not being funded as the department had targeted to provide capitation of 3,244, 325 learners at a cost 22,244 per learner.
He said: “The department would wish to bring to the attention of the committee the projects which we have identified as priority but did not secure adequate funding owing to funding budget constraints.”
Zero allocation
In a document tabled before the committee, Kipsang also regretted that Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) is among the areas that have been affected greatly. Out of the Ksh1.180 billion it requires, it has been allocated none.
He said the implication of the Knec budget cuts will affect the department negatively owing to the fact that it had agreed to administer three more examinations on top of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) including Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), Kenya Primary School Education.
Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
In addition, he also disclosed that examination and invigilation will also be affected as it was only allocated Ksh4.7 billion out of the Ksh11.57 billion needed.
The money, he said, was targeted to administer the inaugural KJSEA assessment and other exams and assessments.
KJSEA requires funding of up to Ksh3.57 billion in addition to the Sh8.1 billion for administration of KPSEA AND KCSE.
He said: “During the financial year 2023/2024 the council was allocated Ksh742 million which was rationalized to zero in the supplementary estimates no 1 of the Financial year 2024/2025 against the expectation that this amount would be sustained and progressively improved to the total actual Personal emoluments.
There is zero budgetary allocation in the FY 2025/2026.”
The document also shows that Free Primary Education has a shortfall of Ksh1.21, whose implication Kipsang said will see 656,512 learners not receiving capitation or the capitation for learners being reduced to Sh1278 yet the targeted capitation is Ksh1,420 per child.
The department had requested for Ksh10.33 billion to cater for 6,568,201 learners as well as take care of top up capitation for 117,565 Special Needs Education (SNE) at Ksh11,650 per learner but was only allocated Ksh9.5 billion.
The Junior School Education on the other hand has a shortfall of Ksh4.05 billion after the sector was allocated Ksh45.66 billion out of a total requirement of Ksh49.72 billion.
Funding for the school feeding programme is also facing a crisis as only Ksh3 billion was provided against a total requirement of Ksh7.21 billion thus leaving a shortfall of Ksh4.21 billion.
Said Kipsang: “The school feeding programme targets to provide school meals to 2.6 million needy learners in the ASAL and urban slum areas for 180 days.
Implication of this is that we will not be able to achieve the target as a priority of the government.”
Infrastructure improvement
He said: “The current budget provision translates to Sh5 per learner for 180 days. The additional funds will increase the allocation to about Ksh11 for 180 days.”
Also, to be affected is the improvement of infrastructure in secondary schools that is required to provide the necessary infrastructural facilities to support implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Out of a total requirement of Ksh1.92 billion, nothing was allocated in the vote.
