Ministry of Education Clarifies Capitation Delay in Some Junior Secondary Schools
The Ministry of Education has provided clarification on why certain primary schools in Kenya will experience a delay in receiving their Junior secondary capitation.
In a circular dated April 14, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Belio Kipsang, stated that “these schools are those whose characteristics are conflicting.” These characteristics could include a lack of double bank accounts or failure to obtain approval to host Grade 7.
The circular was copied to the Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, the CEO of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Nancy Macharia, the Director of School Audit Services, and all regional directors of education.
Kipsang further explained that once the details of these schools are confirmed, they will be provided with their funds.
Kipsang also issued a directive that schools must confirm receipt of the funds within two weeks. Schools are required to issue receipts to the Principal Secretary, with copies sent to the sub-county directors of education. Failure to acknowledge receipt of funds within the stipulated time will result in suspension from the program, as stated by Kipsang.
In addition to addressing the delay in capitation disbursement, the Ministry of Education has also declared a fight against ghost schools in the junior secondary category. Kipsang emphasized that schools must ensure that individual students sign lists that show their names and admission numbers.
Schools are required to provide to the county director of education, through the Sub-County Director of Education, an allocation of funds duly signed by individual students.
The issue of capitation for Grade 7 learners has also been a topic of concern. The 2022/2023 supplementary budget estimates show an allocation of Sh9.6 billion to cater to 1.2 million Grade 7 learners.
However, a report indicates that the committee was concerned that proper costing was not undertaken to determine the per capita allocation and the parameters considered in arriving at the figure. When presenting the estimates to the committee, PS Kipsang noted that the Grade 7 capitation requirement is Sh19.1 billion.
He further explained that the capitation requirement for terms I and II would be Sh15.7 billion, resulting in a total requirement of Sh34.9 billion. Kipsang stated that this figure was arrived at after consultation with an international agency, and that the ministry had previously signed a consultancy agreement with the World Bank in 2020 to determine how to fund Grade 7, despite issues related to domiciling.
The Ministry of Education has made efforts to address the delay in capitation disbursement to certain primary schools in Kenya and has also taken steps to combat ghost schools in the junior secondary category. However, concerns have been raised regarding the proper costing and parameters considered in determining the per capita allocation for Grade 7 learners.
As the education sector continues to evolve, it is essential for the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficient utilization of resources to provide quality education to all learners in Kenya.
Ministry of Education Clarifies Capitation Delay in Some Junior Secondary Schools
