The Kenyan government has invested a lot of resources in the education sector to improve the learning environment.
Education Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang announced that this year alone the government has released over Sh. 30 billion as capitation for schools infrastructural development. “This year the government has released Sh. 15 billion as capitation to secondary schools and Sh.4.6 billion for primary schools,” said Dr. Kipsang.
The PS added that a further Sh. 15 billion has been set aside for infrastructural development in the schools adding: “These resources have come in handy to enable schools heads who are at the moment grappling with infrastructural challenges in a bid to address social distancing in their schools.”
Besides, he said every year substantial amount of money is allocated for maintenance and improvement and currently, Sh.2.4 billion has been set aside for secondary, 300 million for primary and another Sh300 million for the low cost boarding schools in hazard counties. “So far the education sector has consumed 27 percent of its budget just to ensure that learners study in a conducive environment,” explained Dr. Kipsang.
He appreciated the contribution by partners including World Bank that has released Sh8.2 billion for infrastructure development in 30 counties that had educational challenges.
On schools reopening, the PS said by Tuesday the turnout was at 95 percent that he assured would scale up to 100 percent next week. “We have noted that our learners are happy to be back in school and as a ministry we will strive to recover on time lost and regularize our programs into the new calendar,” he said.
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Dr. Kipsang who spoke Thursday when he visited several schools in Nandi to monitor learners reporting and adherence towards Covid 19 mitigation lauded his fellow PSs who are spread out across the country to monitor progress in schools and ensure that learners are safe.
“We have had three PSs in every county in the last two weeks checking and ensuring that our children have reported and are comfortable,” he pointed out. He visited Nandi Primary, Kapnyeberai Girls, Terige boys, Chepterit girls and Kapsisiywa Secondary schools.
He called for continued collaboration between both levels of government to ensure learners are safe in schools during this Covid-19 period by providing face-masks, sanitizers and clean water for hand washing for the most vulnerable. ”The government through the ministry of health has given out 7.5million masks, KCB 1 million masks, UNICEF 750, 000 masks all targeting poorest learners,” he said.
On the Economic Stimulus Desks making program, Kipsang said about 67 percent have been delivered and the rest would be handed to school by Monday next week. He urged the education officials to do proper paper works so that the desks contractors are paid their dues promptly. “So far, desks worth Sh19m have been delivered but only Sh. 5million paid. Going forward, payment will not take more than 48 hours once all the paperwork is correctly done,” he assured.
He was accompanied by the Presidential Delivery Unit director Timothy Kilimo, Nandi South Deputy County Commissioner John Tonui, County Director of Education Zachary Mutwiri, members from the County security team and officers from the education department.