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Education lobby lashes out at State over new policies

The lobby wants the government to consolidate all public bursary funds.

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by LINDWE DANFLOW

News12 February 2024 - 13:54
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In Summary


  • The Education lobby group accused the government of rushing to make and execute policies that are not well thought through. 
  • The lobby said implementation of a new higher education funding model was hastily executed, excluding qualified and deserving students from accessing tertiary education and training.
The members of Elimu Bora Working Group from left: David Karani, Boaz Waruku, Cornelius Oduor and Maxwell Magawi in Nairobi on February 11, 2024.

Elimu Bora Working Group has raised concerns over the education sector claiming that it is running into ruins. 

The Education lobby group accused the government of rushing to make and execute policies that are not well thought through. 

The lobby said implementation of a new higher education funding model was hastily executed, excluding qualified and deserving students from accessing tertiary education and training.

"The 2023 KCPE results for 1.4 million students were hastily released, containing numerous errors and omissions," the lobby said. 

The lobby pointed out that the Ministry of Education initially established Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) within secondary school premises only to make a sudden U-turn and domicile it in Primary institutions.

They also raised concern that though the government had claimed to hire teachers, most were given internship contracts which were mysteriously extended for another year.

Further, Elimu Bora claimed that the government has failed to deliver 37 per cent of Sh628.6 billion allocated to schools in 2023. 

On the new directive to pay school fees to e-citizen, the lobby said if implemented, is poised to become Kenya's biggest scandal.

The lobby group urged the Kenya Kwanza regime to establish a National Education Fund to guarantee that all students get free and compulsory basic education and enhanced access to tertiary education.

Elimu Bora also called for public mobilisation to ensure that all children are in school and learning.

The lobby wants the government to think through policies before declaring them. 

"We demand a cessation of discordant roadside policy pronouncements," Elimu Bora said. 

The lobby also wants the government to consolidate all public bursary funds and depoliticise education financing.

Elimu Bora said multiple public bursary streams are controlled by political leaders, leading to biased fund allocations. 

Additionally, the lobby noted that despite the constitutional mandate for free and compulsory basic education, over 130,000 students, out of the 1.4 million who sat the KCPE in 2023, cannot access Form One due to financial constraints.

"The regime must also establish a National Education Fund to guarantee that all students get free and compulsory basic education, and enhanced access to tertiary education," the lobby said. 

"Public education for all—including the vulnerable, children with disabilities, urban slum residents, rural poor, hard-to-reach, and insecure communities—must be planned and implemented based on a holistic school approach."

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