Primary and Secondary Schools Get Free Education Funds
The National Government has now released Sh. 16.8 billion meant for free primary and secondary education.
The funds will help schools to run with less strain following the reopening of schools for the third term.
According to the Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha, Sh. 2.11 billion is meant for learners attending primary school while Sh 14.7 billion will be allocated to learners who attend secondary schools.
While speaking at Kapsabet Boys High School, Prof Magoha directed principals to ensure that their learners stay in school to ensure that they do not lose valuable lesson time. This is in light of the heavily congested academic calendar owing to the prolonged closure of schools after the first case of the novel COVID-19 pandemic was reported in Kenya.
“Principals should avoid sending learners home for school fees. They should employ dialogue with parents who have fee balances and find a preferable way of clearing fees arrears,” said CS Magoha.
The release of government funds to schools should help school heads sort out part of the budget to start running schools with many parents using CS Magoha’s statement as an excuse to not pay school fees in time.
The CS also for Education asked principals to use the released free education funds while they wait on parents to fulfil their end of the bargain by paying the much-needed school fees.
“It is criminal if you send a child from a Day School home because it is 100 per cent free. Any principal caught doing that will not be dealt with diplomatically. You cannot send a learner to abject poverty,” reiterated Prof Magoha.
An Update on the CBC
Regarding the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) CS Magoha provided an update on the ongoing construction of classrooms in the school. He called on contractors to ensure that the first phase of all classrooms is ready by the first week of March to ensure that when the national examinations begin, all the attention will be on the examinations only.
“On the CBC, we are doing well so far. Am very happy because we are going on well as per the allocated time,” said CS Magoha.
CS Magoha appreciated parents and students of Kapsabet Boys for the discipline they have shown. The institution has a population of more than 2000 learners, adding that it is not easy to be calm with such a big population.
In the CS’s entourage, were Nandi County Commissioner, Herman Shambi, and other stakeholders of education.
“This term is the shortest and as such there will be no visits to schools. Learners should concentrate on their studies and prepare well for the national examinations,” added CS Magoha.
Students allowed to go home any time?
School heads have been urged to be liberal and allow learners to go home if they seek permission and only return to school when they are ready to continue with their studies.
Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Jwan said that heads of schools should avoid restraining learners who wish to go home as long as the process is done in a proper way.
PS Julius Jwan, who visited Nyambaria Boys and Sironga Girls noted that this could end students’ unrest in schools. Besides, he warned principals against the directives of the government of allowing learners to go home when they seek permission.
“Just allow learners who want to go home to leave the school and let nobody bar them from doing so. Let them go home and burn their parent’s houses but not schools,” he told principals.
PS Jwan said that some learners travel long distances in the quest for education in far-flung areas, noting that it was not fair for a few learners to burn schools and deny the chance to learners who are 100 per cent focused on their studies.
In his visit, the PS was inspecting the ongoing construction of CBC buildings in the schools located in Nyamira County.
County Commissioner Michael Lesimaam and County Education Director Margaret Mwirigi accompanied PS Julius Jwan in his visits.
The PS also appreciated the work done in the establishment of facilities in schools.
“The government is committed to ensuring the CBC is a success as the government has begun the process of ensuring that the facilities are ready for the betterment of learners who are set to join Junior secondary school to learn in the CBC,” added PS Jwan.
The PS also urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure that the CBC is a success in Kenyan Schools.
“We cannot achieve anything if we cannot join hands for the betterment of our learners. We only need to cooperate and do all we can to help our children succeed in the new system (CBC),” he said.
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