Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu found himself on the receiving end after announcing that government will no longer fund public universities, urging them to find ways of generating revenue.
Machogu took over a docket that was undergoing reforms, a position former CS Prof George Magoha intimated requires a person of strong character to navigate.
The career administrator has his job cut out. From the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to the teachers shortage.
Appearing before the Vetting Committee, MAachogu promised to crush cartels in the ministry, implement the new curriculum and ensure parents do not pay additional levies in schools.
“If there are cartels at the ministry it is time that they start packing and go elsewhere. With me at the helm, I will love value for money. We shall do proper monitoring so that we do not lose any money at all,” Machogu stated.
CBC Headache
In the run-up to the polls in August 2022, then-Deputy President William Ruto welcomed the shift from the 8-4-4 education system to CBC whose implementation has been ongoing for the last five years.
"As Kenya Kwanza, we support the progression from what we had as knowledge and exam-based education, only, to the new format of knowledge, skills and competence as well as value-based education," said intimated.
Concerns around the implementation of the curriculum, which is currently at Grade 6 include additional costs, inadequate training among teachers, limited number of staff, and stretched learning facilities among others.
University Funding
University Funding has seen the CS take heat from the public, particularly on his stance that institutions of higher learning must generate their own revenue to survive as opposed to relying on the exchequer.
“Universities Fund will be operationalised. It is not the officers in the ministry to do it. The body to dispatch the funds is this institution. During my first month in office, this will be operationalized.”
The Government through the Universities Fund finances universities on the basis of the Maximum Differentiated Unit Cost (MDUC) criteria. As per the criteria, it is expected that the Government meets 80% of the cost while the universities and households meet 20% of the costs.
Last year, data from the UFB showed there was a shortfall in capitation for public universities that had almost doubled within two years, from Ksh13 billion in 2020 to Ksh. 27 billion in 2021 translating to a 100.7 per cent jump.
The report also showed that capitation per learner had declined by up to Ksh35,616 during the same period with average allocation per student standing at Ksh135,244.88 by December 2021 down from Ksh170,861.63 in June 2020.
Teacher shortage
On teacher shortage, Machogu stated that in order to hire at least 116,000 new teachers, the Kenya Kwanza administration will first hire at least 30,000 teachers.
He remarked that the internship programme shall also be institutionalized because it is cheaper and affordable. He said that once one serves as an intern, they can be absorbed on permanent terms.
During the campaign period, Ruto promised to bridge the deficit in public schools within two fiscal years.
“For each phase, we will hire 58,000 teachers when we form the government, to close that gap.’’
Ruto said Ksh25 billion will be set aside annually for capitation, teacher training and recruitment mainly in the marginalised areas so that all students have access to education.
According to Teacher Service Commission (TSC), 2021 annual report, the teachers’ shortage stood at 99,213 in primary and secondary schools.
In the report, which was presented to the National Assembly, the figure represented 44,134 and 55, 079 primary and secondary schools.
Exam Cheating
With national examination around the corner, the CS is in for tough task, especially in taming cheating and dismantling curtails.
Dr Fred Matiangi and Prof Magoha were on the forefront in promoting the integrity of national tests through radical policies and directives.
KCPE rehearsals as well as the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), will begin on November 25, 2022, with the exams starting on November 28 and ending on November 30, 2022.
Rehearsals for KCSE will begin on November 18, before the test runs between November 21 and December 23, 2022.
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