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HomeTOP STORY380,000 Public Schools Students Left Without Government Funding

380,000 Public Schools Students Left Without Government Funding

380,000 Public Schools Students Left Without Government Funding

Approximately 380,000 students are not receiving government funding despite attending public schools and even having meals.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu stated that some principals provide inaccurate information, resulting in erroneous student enrollment data.

He attributed this to school administrators, who delegate their responsibility to individuals who lack the ability to verify the information of the students. Mr. Machogu stated that some school administrators enter students’ Nemis data in cyber cafes, resulting in incorrect entries sent to the ministry for funding.

He reported that during the allocation of Free Education funds, it was observed that school administrators had delegated their responsibility of updating information about individuals who lacked the capability to validate the data entered.

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Machogu, in his appearance before the National Assembly Education Committee, pointed out that cyber cafes often provide incorrect bank account details, categorize a significant number of learners as “pending,” misrepresent school levels, and omit essential information.

Furthermore, it came to light that certain students’ information remained uncaptured due to their lack of necessary documents, such as birth certificates. Minister of Basic Education, Belio Kipsang, informed parliament members that NEMIS does not include a minimum of 380,000 students, making funding unattainable.

Capitation remissions

This means that these students have received capitation waivers from other students each academic year.

The Permanent Secretary (PS) informed that despite sharing the enrollment number with the National Treasury, only 3.6 million individuals are fully registered. 380, 000 minors lack the required documentation.

Dr. Kipsang explained that there are students in our schools, some lacking birth certificates and others fully registered. He pointed out that the funding for Kenyan children is contingent on having these essential documents, which are necessary for confirmation.

He emphasized that adopting a new biometric registration system will be the key to resolving these issues. Kipsang highlighted that the transition to the biometric system will help mitigate some of the existing challenges related to children in schools.

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Machogu stated that although the ministry permits learners without birth certificates to register on NEMIS for the purpose of capturing accurate enrollment in schools, capitation is only provided to registered learners with birth certificates.

He stated that the purpose of this measure was to prevent the possibility of fictitious students, which could result in an excessive allocation of funds to schools. The objective is to empower school administrators to properly register such students.

The CS stated that the ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of the Interior to expedite the enrollment of more students for the documents.

Machogu stated that despite the government’s insistence that students possess valid documents for registration, no school should be denied funding.

The CS added that through the Sub-County Director of Education, they will identify students who lack the required documentation.

380,000 Public Schools Students Left Without Government Funding

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