Photo/FILE Education minister Sam Ongeri. Currently, the minister has the power to appoint members of governing bodies, and even the chief executive where applicable, at about 30,000 schools and related institutions.
By BENJAMIN MUINDI bmuindi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, August 1 2011 at 22:45
Posted Monday, August 1 2011 at 22:45
The Education minister’s powers will be clipped after a new structure to run schools is introduced next year.
The new three-tier structure will curb the minister’s excessive and discretionary powers over all schools in the country.
National, county and school boards will be the focal points in a break from the past as the minister will no longer make all the decisions.
Changes will be made to the Education Act that has created a centralised system at the ministry’s Jogoo House headquarters in Nairobi.
Currently, the minister has the power to appoint members of governing bodies, and even the chief executive where applicable, at about 30,000 schools and related institutions.
But now a National Education Board will advise him on policy matters.
“The board will work with relevant authorities to ensure barriers to quality education are removed,” a brief to Education permanent secretary James ole Kiyiapi from the Taskforce on Re-alignment of Education to the New Constitution says.
The Commission for Higher Education, the Treasury, Attorney General’s office and Federation of Kenya Employers will be represented on the 15-member board. Others will be from teachers’ associations, religious groups and civil society.
The County Education Board will be the second level of command that will develop and coordinate training and research in the 47 counties.
Members will include officials from the Teachers Service Commission, Education ministry, teachers’ unions, civil society and sponsors like churches.
At institution level, the school board of management “will oversee teaching and approve policies while ensuring prudent use of resources in accordance with the law,” the taskforce says.
Three parents, one religious representative and two others from the community, the school sponsors and special interest groups will sit on the board.
Each school will also have a council comprising four learners, parents, teachers and community representatives which reports to the board.
Prof Douglas Odhiambo, who heads the taskforce on the reforms, said the three structures had to understand their roles for proper coordination.
“Currently, there is dismal performance in exams, financial impropriety, high staff turnover and infrastructural decay at schools due to poor management.”
He said the new structure would ensure better utilisation of teachers, money and equipment.
“Lack of accountability and misappropriation of funds in schools is mainly due to poor management,” he added.
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