Tuesday, July 17, 2012

MPs summon Mutula over free learning cash


MPs summon Mutula over free learning cash

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A House committee has summoned Education minister Mutula Kilonzo and his Finance counterpart Njeru Githae over the disbursement of free education funds. Photo/FILE
A House committee has summoned Education minister Mutula Kilonzo and his Finance counterpart Njeru Githae over the disbursement of free education funds. Photo/FILE 
By BENJAMIN MUINDI bmuindi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, July 16  2012 at  23:30
IN SUMMARY
  • Githae will also appear before House team to explain why disbursement of funds to schools has been erratic
A House committee has summoned Education minister Mutula Kilonzo and his Finance counterpart Njeru Githae over erratic disbursement of free education funds.
Parliamentary Committee on Education chairman David Koech said the two would appear before his team next week to explain why schools did not receive the free education funds in time, inconveniencing their operations.
“This is indeed a serious issue that can bring a crisis in the education sector if not well-handled. We want explanations from both ministries,” said Mr Koech, who is the Mosop MP.
Last month, schools received the funds after President Kibaki summoned the two ministries in last-ditch efforts to avert a strike that had been called by the teachers.
The institutions had gone without funds for more than five weeks since the start of the second term.
Teachers have cited erratic disbursement of the funds, lack of a clear policy to guide free education and the low amounts allocated to learners as factors choking the programmes.
They say lack of an official policy has led to running of the free primary and free day secondary education programmes on an “ad hoc basis”, where funds are disbursed to schools when the institutions are already in a cash crisis.
“This is why we need an official policy, entrenched in law, to guide how the free education programmes are managed to avoid running from crisis to crisis,” said Kenya National Union of Teachers chairman Wilson Sossion.
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The Sh1,020 allocated to each pupil annually under the free primary education (FPE) programme was instituted in 2003 and has not been increased to keep pace with inflation and cost of living.
Also the Sh10,265 for the free day secondary education programme started in 2008 has not been increased.
Consequently, schools have resorted to charging parents for a range of services, including supplementary assessment examinations. Additional tuition and development levies have also been charged.
Previously, disbursements to primary schools were made twice a year - 50 per cent in May and the balance in October.
For secondary schools, disbursements were made in the ratio of 20 per cent in term one, 30 per cent in term two and 50 per cent in term three.
The money is now issued according to a new schedule that caters for 50 per cent capitation in term one, 30 per cent in term two and 20 per cent in term three.
But the government has not been keen in following the order. The introduction of the programmes was received with a sigh of relief by many parents as the fee burden was eased, leaving them to grapple with the rising cost of basic items like food, shelter and transport.
Additional streams
At the same time, the student population has ballooned since the beginning of the programmes. In public primary schools, the number has swollen from 5.9 million pupils in 2003 to 9.4 million in 2012.
In public secondary schools, the number has risen from 1.1 million students in 2008 to 1.85 million in 2012.
The Treasury, in its Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the Education Sector, acknowledges that implementation of the programmes has faced challenges, including delays in disbursing funds to schools.
Expansion of existing schools through the introduction of additional streams and a day stream in boarding schools has been encouraged to cope with the rise in enrolment.
“The management of public secondary schools is wanting and the government must invest in retraining the school heads to help improve performance in these institutions,” says the Treasury document.

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