The government is facing a whopping Sh22 billion deficit to deliver free education to all learners in secondary schools, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu confessed yesterday. Machogu warned that the situation could get worse as the number of learners in secondary schools alone increases by over 240,000 next year. In a meeting with members of the National Assembly Committee on Education, Machogu said the current secondary school population is 3.9 million learners against an available budget of Sh65 billion this financial year.

He said that this amount is below the approved Sh22,240 per learner, leaving a funding deficit of Sh22 billion. “Next year, we project that the enrollment will be 4.2 million learners. If the funding remains as it is, the capitation will reduce to Sh15,476 per learner,” said the CS.

Machogu, who was accompanied by his Principal Secretary, Dr Belio Kipsang, made the remarks when he appeared before the MPs to respond to questions on capitation and other issues under his docket. He added: “We must be able to address how we deal with the Sh22 billion that is underfunded. So until we are able to adequately deal with the question of underfunding so that we can take the capitation to 100 per cent of what is required then the challenge with capitation will persist.” Belio said that discussions on funding, without dealing with the existing gap will continue to persist and that the problem of underfunding can only be solved by Parliament.

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“Maybe progressively, we should be reducing the funding gaps so that within a certain period of time, we will have been able to close the gap that is there… but that is where the problem is,” he explained.

The CS said that over the last five years, the funds provided to the Ministry have fallen short of the approved rate leading to underfunding of the schools.

“The Ministry is compelled to divide the available amount with the number of learners, which has been increasing every year.

This results in capitations that are lower than the approved rate,” the CS explained. For instance, in the 2022/2023 financial year, the approved budget was Sh64 billion at a rate of Sh22,244 against a requirement of Sh82 billion for 3.69 million learners, the CS revealed. This was a Sh17.6 billion deficit resulting in 794,231 learners not being funded. Similarly, Machogu said the Ministry retains an amount of capitation per learner for purposes of centralized services, which include textbooks, centralized management of co-curricular activities and EduAfya medical cover.

For Free Primary Education (FPE), the CS said that Sh3.6 billion was retained by the Ministry in the 2022/23 Financial Year, Sh10.8 billion under Free Secondary School Education (FDSE) and Sh3.3 billion under the Junior School. Committee Chairman, Julius Melly however, led other MPS in putting the CS and PS to task to explain why the Ministry issues circulars indicating that schools receive Sh22,244 capitation yet they receive less.

“Why don’t you tell the schools that you are giving them the Sh16,000 so that everyone knows, including the parents that it is not Sh22,244?” posed Melly.

Similarly, the MPs sought to know why the ministry still retains funds for extracurricular activities, given that the prescribed rate is only Sh70 per learner yet lawmakers were being saddled with requests from schools for support in such activities. And for the number of students, Melly asked whether the ministry uses head count or from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).

Belio repsonded: “On the number of students enrolled in our schools and in NEMIS, we have both figures. We have the number of children in our schools but do not have birth certificates and we have the number of children who are fully registered meaning they have the certificates.” The PS said that 3.6 million children are fully registered and around 380,000 others who do not have birth certificates but the Ministry has their details, which they have subsequently shared with Interior counterparts so that they can help in processing. He said that the Ministry funds Kenyan students and can only confirm through some of these documentations as certificates noting that the projected biometric system will address these problem.

“The use of birth certificates is designed to avoid the risk of fictitious learners, which may lead to over capitation in school,” Machogu further explained. The CS said the key challenge on NEMIS is low capacity among school principals on the utilization of the platform and during disbursement of FDSE, most principals delegate the function to update information on the portal to individuals and do not verify the data entered on their behalf. But the MPS insisted that failure to release all funds is causing serious strains on schools, which are subsequently forced to seek assistance from parents by asking for some levy for the institutions to keep running.

“Overtime there has been underfunding in certain areas and what that means is that we start the year at 68 per cent. I would want to confirm that when we issue our circulars to schools on amounts of funds disbursed, we give the actual figures not the anticipated figures,” Kipsang explained. On distribution of what is retained, the PS said the teaching and learning materials takes part of the money, including support of STEM at Sh200 per learner, remittance for textbooks at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Sh1,350 for EduAfya and some from co-curricular, which is also underfunded.

Applications are invited for temporary/casual engagements of 300 posts for General Office Support for a period of three (3) months in the Ministry of Education-State Department for Early Learning & Basic Education

Successful persons will be deployed in various stations in the State Department to undertake General support and Clerical duties. Remuneration will be determined by prevailing Government regulations on casual employees.

Requirements for engagement:

For appointment the applicants must submit: –

• Application Letter
• Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)Certificate
• National ID
• Valid Certificate of Good Conduct
• KRA PIN

Interested and qualified applicants are requested to complete an online application Form through the Ministry’s website via the link https//recruitmenteducation.go.ke  on or before Monday 25^th July 2022.

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Note:

Only shortlisted and successful candidates will be contacted.

Candidates to upload copies of Academic Certificates and Testimonials.

All the details requested in the advertisement should be filled in the online application form.

Shortlisted and successful candidate shall be required to produce originals of their Identity cards. Academic certificates and Testimonials.

The Ministry of Education is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and gender equality.

Similar previous work experience in a Public Institution will be an added advantage.

Persons living with disability (Pwds) are encouraged to apply.

Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.

Jullus O .Jwan,PhD, CBS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY

School principals are going to be held accountable for expenses on resources in public secondary schools.

For the first time, the ministry of education will oversee the auditing of public secondary schools in the country.

According to the Early learning and Basic education PS Julius Jwan, government owned institutions will also be part of the audit process.

In the past, the Auditor would only asses state departments in the ministry of education.

Jwan was speaking during the Anglican Churches of Kenya school principals’ association in Nairobi.

“The government audits public institutions so they are going to do ten percent in every county,” Jwan said.

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All the national, extra county, county and sub-county schools will face the audit.

The state department, led by Jwan would appear in Parliament to respond to queries on how money was spent in schools.

“This is money that was disbursed in their own right so I think it’s time they are held accountable,” Jwan said.

However, Jwan said the main reason for auditing is to hold individual heads and not an umbrella department accountable for the expenses.

He dismissed the notion that the schools are being audited to unfold irregularities in the management.

“An audit is not done because there are irregularities, it is done to ensure systems are functioning well,” he said.

Jwan added that school heads are allowed to manage a lot of resources that require auditing.

For instance, national schools which have more than 2,000 students pay up to Sh45,000 yearly.

“Some of our schools manage more resources compared to some SAGAs in the ministry,” Jwan added.

The Ministry of Education closed all learning institutions on the 15h March,2020, as one of the core measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This closure led to the disruption of all education programmes in the Country including Co-Curricular Activities (CCA). All sporting activities were suspended.

The MOE in consultation with key stakeholders has decided that co-curricular activities resume gradually. However, due to the short academic calendar, it has been resolved that in term one 2022, the primary and secondary schools compete in athletics at all levels, to prepare the qualifying athletes to participate in world under 20 trials.

The dates and venues for the National Championship are as follows.

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The following conditions should be observed among others, during the championships:

• Incorporation of a medical officer from the Ministry of Health in the championship, to advice on safety and health standards.
• The number of participants at the various will be 20 boys and 20 girls.
• The number of competition days and number of officials should be at the lowest level possible to cut on the costs.
• During the National Championships, the Regions will take care of all the team officials (Team managers, Chaperons, Coaches, Drivers etc.) while the MOE HQS will finance the championship administration cost.

All the Sub-County, County Directors and Regional Directors of Education are advised to start planning, organizing and coordinating the championships at their specific levels.

The ministry of education officials are planning to adjust the school calendar in favour of the August 9 General-Election.

According to the academic calendar released by the Ministry of Education for the current academic year, schools are expected to proceed for the second term mid-term on August 11, two days after the August 9 election date. This implies that the schools will be in session on voting day.

Officials from the ministry of education however have communicated the need to adjust the calendar to ensure that learners take their half term break before the election date. This will enable the institutions to be used as polling centers.

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The officials maintained that a precedent had been set in the 2017 repeat presidential election on October 26, that ensured all schools closed to allow the learning institutions to act as polling centres on the polls day.

“During the repeat presidential election, the Ministry made a slight adjustment to the school calendar to accommodate the exercise. It will be the same case this year since the elections will be held in the middle of the term so there is no cause for alarm,” said the officials.

In the previous elections, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned against the destruction of school property during voting.

In the 2017 August 8 election, schools were closed earlier than scheduled to allow IEBC to use the institutions as polling or tallying centres.

A revised school programme for the current year indicates that Second Term commences on July 11 and runs for 10 weeks until September 16 while the third term will start on September 26 and run up to November 25.

As the country prepares for the General Election, learning institutions are also rushing against time to cover most of their syllabus at least by the time the General Election is held.

Primary school heads in the country now want the government to review upwards capitation funds given to pupils on the premise that they are inadequate.

The Kenya Primary School Heads Association(KEPSHA)chairman,Johnson Nzioka,said many primary schools were experiencing difficulties in terms of operations due to the limited funds given by the government.

Mr Nzioka noted that the Sh1000 to each pupil was extremely low.

The chairman was speaking at Nyamasaria Primary School in Kisumu East Sub County during their Eastern region annual KEPSHA meeting.

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Nzioka said the least amount which could have been given by the government is Sh4,500 but rated an ideal figure at Sh8,300.

Saying free education is untenable the world over,the chairman felt there was need to look into the mental well being of teachers.

He divulged that they have already entered into an agreement with the Chiromo Group of Hospitals,in which the health institution will help them train teachers on psychiatric issues.

Nzioka said teachers who have been trained will later escalate the same to the lowest levels.

He said many teachers were silently undergoing psychiatric problems,with dire consequences looming large.

Nzioka said primary schools are ready to implement the competence-based curriculum (CBC) in addition to embracing Teachers Professional Development (TPD).

The chairman urged school heads to collaborate with teachers and stakeholders in order to uplift their performances.

Nzioka restated that good performance required collaboration interfaced with with a lot of dialogue.

“You should make sure that you understand the needs and problems of your staff members,”he said.

Kisumu East Kenya national Union of Teachers executive secretary David Obuon said they will cooperate with school heads at all levels, nating schools heads and KNUT members complement one another at the end of the day.

An official from the Ministry of Education is on the spot after the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) alleged that he diverted Sh11.1 million meant for free education to his personal bank account.

The revelation came out after an inquiry by the anti-graft agency following reports of misappropriation of public funds in the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education.

EACC claims the said employee inserted the name of a non-existent secondary school named Mundeku Secondary school in Khwisero Sub-County, Kakamega county into the final list of the funds distribution schedule and used his personal account to channel the funds.

In their investigations, EACC established that the official prepared the funds distribution schedule which included the number of students in each school, the bank account details and the amount each school would receive based on the enrollment data.

“Investigations established that the said employee inserted the non-existent Mundeku Secondary School into the funds distribution schedule, and linked his Equity Bank account number as the Mundeku Secondary School’s bank account. He later received Shs 11,131,305.53 from the Ministry out of this arrangement,” reads the notice from EACC.

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On 3rd March 2022,EACC forwarded a compiled report to the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) with recommendations to charge the Ministry of Education official with the following offences: one count of abuse of office contrary to section 46,one count of deceiving principal contrary to section 41(2);one count of fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to section 45(1); one (1) count of dealing with suspect property contrary to section 47(1)all as read together with section 48 of the ACECA and one(1) count of forgery contrary to section 349 of the Penal Code.

The Ministry of Education, State Department for Early Learning is currently implementing numerous educational reforms. To enable the State Department effectively and efficiently implement these reforms, applications are Invited from suitably qualified serving Teachers with Teachers Service Commission to fill the following posts.

VACANCY No.1/2022

SALARY SCALE: Ksh.49,000 p.m.to Ksh.87,360p.m,

COMMUTER ALLOWANCE: Kshs.8,000 p.m,

LEAVE ALLOWANCE: Kshs.6,000 p.a,

HOUSE ALLOWANCE:AS PER THE PREVAILING RATES,

MEDICAL BENEFITS: COVERED BY NHIF CIVIL SERVANTS MEDICAL,

TERMS OF SERVICE: Permanent and Pensionable,

Duties and Responsibilities

• Duties and responsibilities will entail: planning and carrying out quality assurance and standards assessments:
• disseminating quality assurance and standards assessment reports to educational institutions,
• advising Education Boards on the standards of Education,
• coordinating school activities and programs:
• organizing pedagogical skills upgrading for teachers;
• organizing and coordinating co-curriculum activities:
• determining the Education Quality Index, and guiding, advising and appraising officers under their supervision.

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Requirements for Appointment

For appointment to this grade, an officer must have:

• Served in the grade of Senior Graduate/Approved Teacher with Teachers Service Commission in Job Group ‘M or an equivalent for at least three (3)years;
• Bachelor of Education degree from a recognized institution;

OR

Bachelor of Arts/Science with Education from a recognized institution;

OR

Bachelor of Arts/Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from a recognized institution.

• Certificate in computer application skills from a recognized institution; and

• Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results.

Interested and qualitied applicants MUST complete an online application form through the Ministry’s website via the link https://recrultment.education.go.ke

Note:

• Candidates should upload certified copies of academic, professional certificates and transcripts.
• All the details requested in the advertisement should be filled in the online application form.
• Shortlisted candidates shall be required to produce original copies of their Identity cards, Academic and Professional certificates and transcripts during interviews.
• Candidates shall be required to produce the original letter of appointment to their current substantive post during the interview. Only shortlisted and successful candidates will be contacted.
• The Ministry of Education is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and gender equality. Persons living with disability (Pwds)are encouraged to apply.
• Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.
• All applications must reach this office via the link provided above on or before Monday 4^th April,2022.

The government through, the Ministry of Education has warned schools heads who receive government subsidy for student above the stipulated enrollment that they will be charged as per the law.

Principal Secretary in the State Department Of Basic And Early Learning Dr. Julius Jwan, in a circular addressed to all county directors of education warned school heads of over enrollment. The circular was meant to give guidelines on the implementation of Free Day Secondary Schools for the year 2021-2022.

He urged school heads to adhere to the laid down financial regulations stipulated in the revised Handbook on Financial Management for Public Secondary Schools, Teacher Training Colleges and Technical and Vocational Colleges in Kenya and to ensure prudence use of school funds.

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Dr Jwan maintained that any changes in information of a school’s bank accounts will only be effected at the Ministry of Education Headquarters at Jogoo House. He also warned that no schools should enter into financial contracts without a written approval by the Cabinet Secretary of Education.

The Ministry has also instructed all school principals to ensure that all eligible leaners are fully registered and captured on the National Education Management Information System(NEMIS) platform since funds will be disbursed using the data available in the platform.

“Transfer of students should be avoided in the course of the academic year and may only be sanctioned by the Director General under special circumstances,” advised Dr. Jwan.

According to Public Finance Management Act 2012, a public officer commits an offence if the officer takes possession of public funds or assets without lawful authority, misappropriates public funds or assets, conceals information on public finances to obtain a financial benefit either for the officer or another person; or engages in a corrupt act; which includes soliciting or receiving an inducement.

The act states that a person found guilty of committing an offence is liable to conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding 10 million shillings, or both.

In the recently released Auditor General’s report for the 2019/2020 Financial Year, the State Department has been faulted for paying Sh1.8 billion to over 2,000 secondary schools with ghost students and another Sh26.8 million to five ghost schools.

In the 2021 school academic calendar which starts on July 26, 2021, the government through the Ministry of Education has allocated a total of Sh. 5, 000 per student from the GOK subsidy as Maintenance and Improvement Fund (MIF). Parents with children in boarding schools will be required to pay an additional Kshs 2,000.

The MIF is only used for immovable assets and other form of infrastructure in the school that might require an upgrade.

The government’s 100 per cent transition programme has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of students joining secondary schools.

School principals have decried that there has been no increase in funding forcing them to resort to other means to cope with the bulging student population.

In the 2020 form one selection, 36254 candidates (17406 girls and 18848 boys) will join national schools, 201,067 learners (95,646 girls and 105,431 boys) will join extra-County schools,213,591 candidates (115,325 girls and 98,256 boys) will attend County Schools while 718,516 (357,029 girls and 361,487 boys) are set to join Sub-County schools-.

The public accounts committee has grilled the ministry of education over a non-recovered overpayment of more than ksh. 105M to some public schools which occurred three years ago.

Ministry of education principal Secretary Julius Jwan confessed before the committee that More than Sh105 million in capitation funds irregularly overpaid to some public secondary schools three years ago is yet to be recovered.

The scandal, which has been benefiting 331 schools for the last three years, has not stopped despite audit reports.

The report shows that the over payment arose from “inflation of enrollment numbers and double payment to schools” among other factors.

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The chair of the committee Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi wanted to know how much has been recovered since the report was released in March. “Has the ministry taken any action and how much has been recovered so far?” asked Wandayi.

“The statement of receipts and payments reflects a balance of more than Sh59,633,897,605 being subsidies for the year ended June 30, 2019. Included in this amount is an over payment of subsidy funds amounting to Sh105,905,782 to 331 public secondary schools in different counties arising from inflated enrollment data,” read part of the report.

Jwan however told the legislators they are still in the process of recovering the said funds but no process has been undertaken yet.

The MPs felt disappointed with the Juan’s response when they sought to know why it has been business as usual in the ministry three years down the line, with millions of shillings being injected.

“Are you trying to say you have forgotten about the over payment that happened three years ago? Yet, there are people from the ministry benefiting from this money?” asked Garissa Town MP Aden Duale.

Director of Primary Education Olicia Nerregah said they are in the process of making the recoveries but they are facing challenges including slow transition of some schools to register learners in the new National Education Information Management System (Nemis) making it difficult to have accurate data.