Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Migos Ogamba has revealed that the government has spent approximately Ksh85.5 billion from the 2016/2017 to 2024/2025 financial years to fund CBC in primary schools over the last 9 years.
Speaking on Wednesday evening during a stakeholders’ engagement on CBC, the CS noted that the amount invested in Junior Schools from 2023/2024 to 2024/2025 (FY) is KSh61.66 billion.
Ogamba highlighted that in the last five financial years, KSh310 billion has been spent on secondary education in the form of capitation. “The Government of Kenya’s investment in secondary education in terms of capitation for the last five financial years catered to a total of 19,084,644 students,” said CS Ogamba during the event at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi.
Over the last five years, a total of 3,396,322 students benefitted from government capitation in the 2020/21 FY, while 3,587,081 students benefitted in the 2021/22 FY. In the 2022/23 FY, 4,172,432 students received capitation funds, and 4,238,433 students benefitted in the 2023/24 financial year.
The government allocates capitation to each learner at KSh1,420 per year for Grades 1-6, KSh15,042 for Junior School, and KSh22,244 for secondary learners.
Regarding instructional materials, the Cabinet Secretary noted that the government has spent KSh21,811,581,292 on CBC course books, KSh326,150,000 for rationalized curriculum designs, and KSh9,601,030,028 for rationalized course materials.
Primary schools have maintained classrooms for Grades 1 to 6 and donated two previously used for Standard 7 and 8 to Junior Schools. The CS observed that the Ministry is constructing 11,000 Grade 9 classrooms, with construction having started in July 2024 and expected to be completed by January 2025. The Ministry is also collaborating with NG-CDF to construct an additional 6,800 classrooms. Modalities for establishing Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) are also underway.
In senior schools (currently secondary schools), there are 94,044 classrooms, 13,908 science laboratories, 160,093 sanitary facilities, 1,726 ICT facilities, and 980 workshops in the country. The shortfall in infrastructure for the implementation of CBC in senior schools will be addressed. Currently, there is an infrastructure shortfall of 1,223 classrooms, 2,804 science laboratories, 7,801 ICT laboratories, 27,181 sanitation facilities, and 1,750 workshops.
CS Ogamba revealed that the government will progressively develop these infrastructure facilities over the next three years as students advance through senior school.
The government has recruited a total of 76,928 teachers, of whom 56,928 are permanent and pensionable, while 20,000 are intern teachers.
Training on CBC implementation has been provided for 229,292 serving primary teachers since 2019, and 60,642 Junior School teachers have also received training.
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Through KICD, the Ministry has procured 9,926,618 Grade 9 textbooks. As of Friday, December 6, 2024, 5,494,383 (55.33%) textbooks have been distributed to schools. The distribution is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2024, with books being distributed in a 1:1 ratio to learners. Additionally, KICD is completing the process of uploading curriculum designs on its website to enable digital access for teachers and other stakeholders.
KNEC has developed a Competency-Based Assessment Framework that provides guidance on formative and summative assessments, aligning with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform. KNEC has leveraged technology to register, upload assessment tools, learners’ scores, and feedback reports, increasing efficiency in conducting assessments.
The new KCSE grading system for the 8-4-4 system was implemented in 2023 and will benefit five cohorts up to 2027. Candidates are graded on Mathematics, English or Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, and their best five additional subjects. Approximately KSh2,518,978,071 has been spent from FY 2017/2018 to 2024/2025 to finance Competency-Based Assessment at the primary and Junior School levels.
Present at the stakeholders’ engagement were Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang, CEOs and Board Chairs from education sectors, universities, civil society, faith-based organizations, students, teachers, and other stakeholders.
By Obegi Malack.
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