Education CS Fred Matiang’i (pictured) has said if the government can save 53 per cent of funds lost while buying textbooks, special needs learners will be adequately equipped.
He said the loss of textbook funds translates into billions of shillings. “We have special needs education children who cannot access learning materials and on the other hand we are basically fiddling around with invoices and cooking up receipts and stealing money,” Matiang’i said.
Special Schools Heads Association chairman Arthur Injenga told the CS that the Special Needs Education sector is underfunded.
The association is holding its first ADC at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
“Purchasing learning materials like braille ream is very expensive, compared to regular textbooks. It costs as much as Sh7,000,” Injenga said.
The CS said an audit by the Education ministry to be made public soon shows half of the money allocated to public schools does not get to them.
Matiang’i said it will be cheaper for the government to procure books directly from the Kenya Literature Bureau, not booksellers whose prices are marked up for profit. He said, “We actually waste a lot of money on the textbooks programme when we know we can use the money to buy equipment for learners with special needs.” Booksellers have been accused of colluding with head teachers and principals resulting in a loss of about Sh13 billion in the last 10 years, meant for textbooks.