Teacher Shortage, Underfunding Major Issues Affecting Education – KNUT
The delivery of quality education in Kenya is being hindered by a number of factors, according to the Kenya National Union of Teachers and other education stakeholders.
The Secretary General of the union, Collins Oyuu, pointed to underfunding, inadequate public school infrastructure, teacher shortages, stagnant capitation, and the current debate to privatize university education as the major issues affecting the sector.
This is leading to the increasing demand for privatisation and commercialisation in education.
The lack of resources, particularly in densely populated areas, has resulted in a shortage of school infrastructure, which has created the need for private or Alternative Providers for Basic Education and Training schools.
A recent report titled “Rapid Assessment Results on Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education in Kenya” revealed that only 4% of schools in middle and low-income urban settlements consist of public schools, with the rest being taken up by private schools.
This has resulted in the majority of poor Kenyans not having access to education. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima called on the government to address this issue promptly.
Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers Secretary General Albert Njeru urged unions to stick together and resist the move to privatise education.
The report found that the inability of public schools to offer competitive facilities and services to education has given private schools an edge, resulting in parents opting for private education over public education.
This is due to the poor quality of public schools, which are suffering from overcrowding, low teacher-student ratios, and poor working conditions.
In addition, the stagnant capitation to learners in both basic and higher learning institutions has made it difficult for students to access education in the country, forcing school administrators to commercialise education.
The study was conducted in six counties, including Nairobi, Kakamega, Mombasa, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, and Kisumu, and revealed that the government’s decision to domicile Junior Secondary in primary schools has disadvantaged public schools.
The report also identified scattered public schools, which make it difficult for students to access public schools, as a factor contributing to the demand for private education.
The union called on the government to revise and increase the government capitation to public schools, which has not been reviewed in a long time, despite inflation being at its highest.
The CEO of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Charles Ong’ondo, supported the findings of the report and challenged the unions to engage more and find solutions to the challenges.
Unless the government revamps public schools to make them more attractive to parents, learners, and workers, the trend towards privatisation and commercialisation in education is likely to continue.
Teacher Shortage, Underfunding Major Issues Affecting Education – KNUT’