Best news for teacher, parents and candidates

 It is good news for teachers, candidates and parents after the Government announced waivers and allocations to be included in the upcoming budgets to improve and lower the cost of education. Beginning next year, candidates sitting national examinations at the end of primary and secondary education will no longer pay exam fees. Teachers are also big winners as Sh2.3 billion has been set aside to promote 7,500 teachers and an additional 5,000 tutors are to be recruited from July. And parents who have borne the brunt of rising school fees will also receive a reprieve, as the Government will foot some service charges in schools blamed for raising levies and also increase the subsidy for students. These are among the goodies Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi announced yesterday during a press conference at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) headquarters where he met the union officials. Kaimenyi explained the measures are to implement the Basic Education Act, but it was also evident the interventions were aimed at averting a looming confrontation with teachers. The Government promised to increase the capitation for the Free Primary and the subsidised secondary education in all public schools.
Authorities moved to forestall an industrial action that had been called by Knut by accepting to recruit 5,000 teachers in the next financial year beginning July. Apart from bridging teachers’ deficit, the Government has set aside Sh2.3 billion to promote 7,500 teachers, a move calculated to avert another looming confrontation with teachers. Kaimenyi said that in the next three years, no pupil or student will pay any money to get education in public learning institutions.
We are moving towards offering free basic education from early childhood education to the secondary level. We have increased the capitation for each pupil that includes the examination fee,” said Kaimenyi. Kaimenyi said the Government would also foot the electricity and water bills and meet the cost of paying the subordinate staff. This is designed to eliminate levies charged by schools that burden parents. All these will be implemented progressively for the next three financial years of the Jubilee Government. Currently, the capitation for each pupil is Sh1,020 but come next year, the amount will be increased by between 44 to 50 per cent which translates to between Sh448 to Sh510 per pupil. This means that the capitation for each child will be between Sh1,468 and Sh1,530 per child.