Fix up education financing, bolster 100pc transition
The cost of education has continued to fuel the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Cost has been recognised by Unesco as one of the biggest impediments to access to education. The cost of education has continued to fuel the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Luckily, private citizens and entities have stepped in to stand in the gap by covering the deficit in educational financing through scholarships, bursaries and sponsorships. Equity’s Wings to Fly and the Kenya Airlift Program are two examples of successful ventures with impactful outcomes that have shaped the educational landscape in the country.
However, this is a drop in the ocean, given the thousands of bright but poor students who are still locked out of school. For thousands of households in Kenya, education is not a hobby; nor is it a luxury. It is a lifeline and their lives, hopes and imagination depend on it. It is a bridge to a better future, not necessarily of riches but a comfortable life.
The policy of 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary schools that the government is pursuing remains a mirage. The ever-rising financial obligations continue to hinder thousands of students from accessing secondary education. At present, education in Kenya is for a select few: The middle class and the rich, who can afford to finance it out of their scarcity and plenty, respectively.
The poor are left to fend for themselves. And with their dwindling economic prospects, fate will have their children out of school soon, if at all they will resume this term, which is only two weeks away.
In the current financial year, the education sector was allocated 16.48 per cent of the national Budget. The government and educational stakeholders need to review their latest move and particularly increase its allocation to secondary school education.
That will accelerate and make realistic the journey to a 100 per cent transition. Increasing financing means more schools will be built, more teachers employed and more teaching and learning materials provided, hence guaranteeing easy access to education even in far-flung areas.
According to Nemis data, the government has been disbursing a capitation grant of Sh22,444 per student yearly. Students with special needs have been receiving Sh58,807. This arrangement has been a reprieve to many households.
Amid the harsh economic times, inflation failed harvest and the Covid-19 pandemic, the government and other education stakeholders should streamline and fast-track the disbursement of the funds.
The government should thus adopt the recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER) that it increase the capitation as part of the much-needed reforms in education financing. That will be significant in increasing enrolment and retention of learners in school.
In any case, it is the responsibility of the government to guarantee education for all as enshrined in the Universal Basic Human Rights Charter, to which Kenya is a party.
Mr Kosgei is an award-winning social entrepreneur. [email protected].
