Students in a class[photo/softkenya.com]
Managers want ministry to include students attending exclusive institutions in free day secondary education project
The national government has since announced that as from next year, all public day schools will be offering free basic education. This is a good idea as it aims to ensure a 100 percent transition of students from primary to secondary schools.Last year, 81.3 percent of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates transitioned to secondary schools.
So, how can this ambitious plan succeed? According to heads of private schools, the government should also consider offering capitation to students who will not manage to secure places in public schools but want to join private schools as a way of making the 100 percent transition a reality.
Until now, the State has been meeting part of the free day secondary education by paying Sh12,870 per child per year. Education PS, Dr. Bellio Kipsang says to ensure a 100 percent transition for all learners and remove the burden from parents, the parent component of Sh9,374 will now be taken up by the government and learners in day schools will not pay any school fees. “All students in public schools will now receive Sh22,244 starting January 2018,” he said.
According to the Kenya Economic Survey 2017, secondary schools increased by 5.3 percent to 9,942 in 2016, but private secondary schools registered higher growth of 18.1 percent compared to public schools, which increased by 3.6 percent. This year, 993, 718 students for KCPE, a 5.5 per cent increase from the 942, 021 who sat the national exam last year. And not much has been done to improve the facilities in these schools.