- He noted that Junior Secondary students have been allocated Sh15,544.
- Oyuu said this figure ought to be adjusted upwards to at least Sh22,000.
Image: FILE
The Kenya National Union of Teachers wants the government to increase capitation per learner at all levels of education.
Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu said Pre-primary learners have been allocated Sh1,170 per pupil according to the recommendation of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER), a figure he termed as extremely low.
Oyuu said Pre-primary school learners ought to have their capitation increased to at least Sh5,000 per pupil per annum.
"Primary pupils have been allocated Sh2,237 per learner – the figure is low. We propose the figure to be raised to Sh4,000," Oyuu said.
He spoke on Wednesday during a National Stakeholders Conference on Funding and Commercialisation of Education in the country in Nairobi.
Currently, the Government allocates Sh1,420 per child in Primary school which Oyuu said is not enough.
He noted that Junior Secondary students have been allocated Sh15,043 as per the recommendation of the PWPER. Oyuu said this figure ought to be adjusted upwards to at least Sh22,000.
"Senior secondary school learners have been allocated Sh22, 527 per student – this amount should be raised to Sh35,000," Oyuu said.
Before the split into Senior and Junior Secondary, learners were allocated Sh22,244.
Currently, students in Secondary school are allocated Sh22,244 which he termed as a drop in the sea.
The PWPER had also recommended that Special Needs learners have additional capitation in Pre-Primary of Sh604, Primary schools Sh3,624, JSS Sh10,000 and Senior Secondary Sh35,000.
Oyuu said this capitation is much less than what is required considering the run-way inflation.
"The capitation should be increased to Sh35,000 for all learners with Special Needs and Disabilities in Primary school and Sh60,000 in Secondary schools," Oyuu said.
Currently, Special Needs learners in Secondary schools are allocated Sh.35,000 as a top-up, while Sh2,300 as a top-up in Primary schools.
Besides enhancing capitation for Special Needs and Disabled learners, Oyuu said the Government should also invest heavily in teaching tools/technology that every Special Needs educator should have in their classrooms.
He noted that in the 2022/2023 budgetary allocation, Sh544.4 billion was appropriated for the education sector with 12 billion set aside for Free Primary Education, Sh2.5 billion for teacher recruitment, Sh64.4 billion for free day secondary schools and Sh5 billion for exams waiver for grade six, class eight and form four students.
Sh294.7 billion was set aside for the Teachers Service Commission, Sh6.8 billion for secondary education quality improvement projects, Sh91.2 billion for university education and Sh15.8 billion FOR HELB among other costs.
The Secretary-General said this allocation is not enough to sustain the education sector given the fact that the population has outgrown the available infrastructure and the 100 per cent transition policy by the government.
Oyuu said for the 2023/24 academic year, budgetary allocation stands at Sh628.6 billion.
This amount is meant to cater for among others, the recruitment of an additional 20,000 teachers which will cost Sh4.8 billion; an increase capitation grant for Junior Secondary school at Sh25.5 billion; Free Primary Education at Sh12.5 billion and Free Day Secondary Education at Sh65.4 billion.
"These allocations are a drop in the ocean, considering the escalating cost of living, the rise of consumer commodity prices, escalated utility bills and the pricey cost of teaching tools and learning materials," Oyuu said.
He said when there is underfunding in the Education sector, the costs incurred especially in Public Education are pushed towards parents.