The government in the 2023 Budget Policy Statement tabled to National Assembly on Wednesday, March 15, introduced four key changes to the education sector.
The reforms touch on basic level education, National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) and higher education funding.
The changes were tabled to Parliament by Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro who chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
In the first change, the National Treasury will work with the Ministry of Education in supervising development projects in schools.
Through the new policy, National Treasury would issue funds for the development of schools as conditional grants.
“The National Treasury in coordination with the Ministry of Education should develop a framework for the administration of the school infrastructure improvement funds as a conditional grant to NG-CDF to support school infrastructure development in all constituencies,” the Policy Statement dictated.
The government further recognized Bandari Maritime Academy as a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution.
“The State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs will develop a policy framework with the Ministry of Education to ensure Bandari Maritime Academy students access capitation like their counterparts in other TVET institutions,” the Budget and Appropriations Committee directed.
In the past, Bandari Maritime Academy students were not allowed to apply for funding through Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
In a third sweeping change, the Committee provided a framework for increasing funding to basic-level education institutions.
“The State Department for Basic Education will initiate and spearhead the process of reviewing the capitation policy at the basic level of education to ensure adequate funding to schools,” the statement read in part.
Furthermore, the State Department was required to submit a report to the National Assembly within six months.
Following recommendations that had been made earlier by National Assembly Education Committee, the government will no longer through Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) place government-sponsored students in private universities.
“In the next cycle of placements (2023), the State Department for Higher Education and Research, KUCCPS, should not place new government-sponsored students in private universities,” government officially ended the program that was started by former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in 2017.
On Thursday, March 9, the Education Committee revealed that the program had cost taxpayers Ksh8.7 billion capitation in four years yet no audit was ever made on how the money was being used.
