The Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha has revealed that the government has released capitation to both primary and secondary schools with schools set to reopen for the first term.
The CS was in Mombasa where he supervised the start of the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) 6-day training on transformational leadership for implementing changes and sustainability of donor-funded projects. The East and Southern African Management Institute was the one charged with conducting the training.
Learners and teachers alike have had to contend with one-week holidays since schools reopened following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The government was forced to close all learning institutions to curb the spread of COVID-19 after the reporting of the first case of COVID-19 in March last year (2020). The prolonged closure of schools necessitated the readjustment of the schools’ calendar, hence the short holidays.
The first term of the 2021 Academic year is set to commence on the 26th of July, 2021.
CS Magoha has warned schools that no learner should be sent home to collect school fees arrears.
According to the CS, the government will be on the lookout for any school that will be flouting the directive as they want to ensure that no child is disadvantaged to access quality education. The Ministry of Education intends to achieve a 100 percent transition rate from primary to secondary schools across the country.
“I have had a meeting with the Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i to ensure every child who did the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination joins Form One,” said CS Magoha.
According to CS Magoha, Sh. 17 billion has been disbursed to primary schools with secondary schools getting an Sh. 59.5 billion windfall as capitation for the first term which is set to begin on the 26th of July.
“Money for the first term of the 2021 academic year will be available as soon as Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) is open. Primary education is free and compulsory, while in secondary schools, 75 percent of the school fees have been catered for, with the remainder being for lunch and boarding fees, which parents offset,” said Cabinet Secret Prof George Magoha.
CS Magoha addressed the press while witnessing the start of the 6-day Ministry of Education’s training on transformational leadership for implementing changes and sustainability of donor-funded projects. The East and Southern African Management Institute was charged with conducting the training.