If the government follows the funding proposal and raises tuition fees, the cost of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) will not be a problem for parents.
This is in response to the proposal of the Presidential Working Party for Education Reform (PWPER) that the government raise tuition, which is insufficient and obliges parents to dig into their pockets. KBK teaching materials are currently not funded by the government for free education that depends on the 8-4-4 system. In addition, schools that will have secondary schools will receive more financial aid.
According to sources, President William Ruto agreed with the idea in the meeting and ordered the Ministry of Education to work out the specifics of its implementation.
He said, most of what parents have to buy for their children is part of the government bill. The president reportedly joined the group during the meeting and asked how they arrived at some of their recommendations, including the data used. Several sources who attended the meeting reported that the president did not just accept the group’s recommendation.
In the meeting, it was agreed that although JSS students will be placed in primary school, the curriculum will be mainly for secondary school.
“JSS will be merged with middle and elementary schools only. It will have its own teacher and then even its own principal if established properly,” he said. “This is the first step to strengthen day-to-day education in Kenya.”
Secondary schools next to primary schools have the option of sharing with JSS and secondary schools that run secondary schools. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will develop policies for the management and placement of teachers.
Since there will be five secondary school grades instead of the usual four from next year, the increase in government spending on education as a result of the change is very good. The government provides Sh22,244 as tuition for each student. There will be an additional 7th grade with over 1,280,000 students.
Despite inflation and the rising cost of living, primary school fees remain at Sh1,420 per pupil, which was last reviewed in 2010. The Kenya Association of Primary School Principals has proposed increasing this amount to Sh8,546 in the PWPER proposal. A total of Sh1,124 is expected to be paid for CBC study materials.
In the State House meeting, it was decided that due to the secondary JSS curriculum, priority should be given to qualified unemployed teachers to teach in secondary schools while recruiting 30,000 teachers. These are people who have a bachelor’s degree or educational diploma.
This month, TSC jobs are expected to open, so teachers can report when school opens.
The commission will also appoint elementary school teachers with the necessary certificates from JSS. 17,000 teachers are considered for degrees and certificates.
In two financial years, the Kenya Kwanza platform is said to hire 58,000 teachers at a cost of Sh25 billion. The council ordered to develop a recruitment mechanism. One suggestion is to hire teachers on a contract rather than a long-term, pension basis. The government can take a cheaper route to reach the required numbers.