Free Education Program at Risk as Budget Shortfall Hits Sh22 Billion
The successful implementation of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) in Kenya is facing a significant challenge due to a budget shortfall of Sh22.2 billion.
This shortfall leaves nearly one million learners without funding in the upcoming financial year, hindering their access to education.
Despite a Sh964 million increase in the capitation grant, which supports learners in public secondary schools, the allocated budget for FDSE falls short.
This issue was brought to light by Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Dr Belio Kipsang, during a recent session with the National Assembly’s Education Committee.
Dr Belio Kipsang, in his testimony before the Education Committee, emphasized the urgency of addressing the budget shortfall.
The current enrollment of 3,938,109 learners in secondary schools requires a total of Sh87.6 billion, considering the rate of Sh22,244 per learner.
However, the proposed allocation for FDSE in the 2023-24 budget is only Sh65.4 billion.
Consequently, approximately 998,620 learners would be excluded from the program unless an additional Sh22.213 billion is secured.
This funding deficit compounds existing challenges faced by secondary school principals, who have been grappling with delayed capitation grant payments. These delays have adversely affected the functioning of schools.
The State Department of Basic Education’s total allocation of Sh135.48 billion includes Sh15.773 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh19.707 billion for development.
While this reflects a net increase of Sh5.018 billion from the previous allocation, it still falls short of adequately addressing the educational needs of students.
Furthermore, Dr Kipsang highlighted the inadequate allocation for the newly introduced Junior Secondary School (JSS) segment.
With a funding gap of Sh17.63 billion, the allocated Sh15.5 billion fails to meet the Sh33 billion requirement for JSS.
The ministry intends to accommodate over 1.3 million additional learners in JSS, necessitating a capital of Sh15.776 billion for Grades One and Two and an additional Sh3.38 billion for infrastructure improvements.
Free Education Program at Risk as Budget Shortfall Hits Sh22 Billion
