One million students to miss out on free secondary funding

Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang appearing before parliamentary committee on education on April 13, 2023. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG

Nearly one million learners risk being locked out of free secondary education following a budget shortfall, Parliament heard on Tuesday.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the Sh65.4 allocated in the financial year starting July to cater for the 3.93 million students can only take care of 2.93 million learners.

The government sends Sh22,244 per student in public secondary schools as a capitation to facilitate free secondary education.

“The current enrolment of 3.93 million at the rate of Sh22,244 gives a total requirement of Sh87.5 billion. Thus, 998,620 learners are not covered under the FDSE (Free Day Secondary Education) Programme,” he told the National Assembly Committee on Education.

He appeared before the MPs to expound on the ministry’s budget for the financial year 2023/2024.

Also read: Parliament opens probe on secondary school insurance

The FDSE commenced in January 2018 with a target to achieve a 100 percent transition of pupils from primary to secondary schools.

The government currently offers universal free primary education (FPE) and subsidises secondary education in day schools.

Treasury has allocated the State Department of Basic Education Sh12.4 billion as capitation for FPE at a rate of Sh1,420 per learner in the year starting July.

A proposed allocation of Sh15.5 billion has been set aside as the capitation for free junior secondary education at a rate of Sh15,042 per student.

Read: State to spend Sh6bn on free junior secondary

Overall, the State Department has been allocated Sh135.48 billion, comprising Sh115.773 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh19.707 billion for development.

→ [email protected]