Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi. [Photo/softkenya.com]
The government plans to hire a total of 10,000 teachers, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’I has said.
The move comes amid anticipation of an increased number of students, as the government prepares to roll out free secondary education in January.
Dr Matiang’i said negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on hiring were ongoing, The Daily Nation reports.
The CS also defended the Sh23.6 billion supplementary budget, saying the amount was critical in actualising Jubilee’s campaign pledges. Dr Matiang’i appeared before a special committee of the National Assembly that is scrutinising the budget.
The amount is part of the Sh46 billion approved by the Cabinet to fund the project and does not include the hiring of the extra teachers.
Dr Matiang’i said the approval of the funding will drastically reduce the fees paid by students in boarding secondary school as the ministry intended to increase the capitation per student from the current Sh12,870 to Sh22,241.