- Last year, schools enrolled 1,088,456 students while this year some 1,225,554 students will be enrolled in secondary school.
- According to the Education ministry, enrolment in secondary schools grew from 1.3 million in 2008 to 3.5 million in 2022.
Image: MERCY MUMO
The number of teachers in public secondary schools increased by 6 per cent, a survey has revealed.
The Economic Survey of 2022 has disclosed that the intake of teachers to training colleges increased by 6.3 percent to 120,279 in 2021.
“Enrolment to secondary increased by 4.9 percent to 3.7 million in 2021. Teachers in public secondary increased to 120,279 in 2021,” the survey reads.
This comes even as the Teachers Service Commission decries the shortage of more than 100,000 teachers.
It means the ratio of teachers to students still remains in question as secondary schools enrol more students.
“Teachers in public primary schools increased by 1.2 per cent to 220,744 as enrolment of students in primary schools increased by 1.1 per cent,” the survey reads.
Last year, schools enrolled 1,088,456 students while this year some 1,225,554 students will be enrolled in secondary school.
This reflects an increase of 137,098 in the number of students with the same number of teachers.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani allocated Sh2.5 billion to hire 5,000 permanent teachers and another 6,000 interns.
With the commission hiring 11,000 teachers, the country will still be having a shortage of 103,581 teachers.
TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia previously attributed the shortage to under-funding from the government.
“The government gives us money to hire about 5,000 teachers a year. When we advertise for vacancies we get overwhelming applications but our hands are tied,” Macharia said.
Public universities funding was expected to grow by 4.6 per cent to Sh43.8 billion in 2021-22.
In the recent budget allocation, the university sub-sector was allocated Sh91.2 billion, a rise from Sh76.3 billion in the last financial year.
According to the survey, Helb applications by students in higher institutions was reduced by 3.2 per cent.
“The amount awarded to beneficiaries declined by 6.6 per cent to Sh14.2 billion in 2020-21,” the survey reads.
The status of enrolment of students in secondary schools decreased as students progressed with their studies.
The survey reveals that not all students who get admitted to Form 1 finish their studies at Form 4.
“Gross secondary school enrolment rate is at 76.2 per cent while net enrolment rate is at 42.4 per cent,” the survey reads.
According to the Education ministry, enrolment in secondary schools grew from 1.3 million in 2008 to 3.5 million in 2022.
This is attributed to the 100 percent transition policy which ensures all students who sit KCPE get enrolled in Form 1.
The difference in enrolment of primary school learners is not as big as that of the secondary school pupils.
“Gross primary school enrolment rate is 99.9 per cent while net enrolment rate is at 75.8 per cent,” the survey reads.
Another 55.2 per cent of Kenyans had attained primary education, 27.2 per cent attained secondary education while 7 per cent attained university education by 2021.
As of 2019, about 41.4 per cent of the Kenyan population of 3 years and above were attending a learning institution.
(edited by Amol Awuor)