The National Parents Association has warned the school feeding programme is headed for collapse due to massive budgetary cuts.
The association officials, who were giving their take on the Finance Bill, 2024, called for a full reinstatement of the budget for meals for the more than 2.7 million learners in public schools.
Association CEO George Sikulu said there was a target of 2.5 million learners against the projected 2.7 million learners to be provided with meals, with a budget allocation of Sh4.93 billion against the proposed Sh9.7 billion.
“At the rate of Sh20 per day per learner, the available budget can only provide school meals for 98 days, which is just about 61 per cent of the total school days in a year,” he said.
“Should Parliament fail to reinstate the school meals full budget, then there will be increased absenteeism and dropouts, and the nutritional indicators will be affected.”
Sikulu also questioned the planned construction of 320 classrooms. He said only 320 schools would benefit, yet there were 23,659 schools across the country.
“At least 4,700 primary schools require new classrooms-one classroom per school-, meaning the target should be 4,700 classrooms,” he said.
The CEO said under the budget proposals, Junior Secondary School had a target of 1,400 classrooms, which is less than the needed classrooms in the 180,000 Junior Secondary Schools.
“More than Sh54 billion is required for laboratories in 18,000 Junior Secondary Schools, with each institution allocated one lab at a cost of Sh3 million,” Sikulu said.
Association secretary general Eskimos Kobia said learning in the JSS could be paralysed in the coming weeks due to the current financial crisis.
He said thousands of students in public schools face unfair competition from their colleagues in private institutions, who are learning as the impasse continues.
“We are deeply worried by the crisis in Junior Secondary Schools, which have not received capitation for second term. This has adversely affected learning in the institutions,” Kobia said.
He cited lack of infrastructure and shortage of teachers as some of the major challenges facing learning in the public schools.
