Report proposes revised schools funding model

CS, Education, Julius Migos Ogamba [left] chats with Higher Education Loan Board Chairman, Ekwee Ethuro during capacity building workshop for Principals, Directors, deputy Principals Academics, Registrar, Assistant registrars and examination officers at Pride Inn Beach Hotel in Mombasa.April 23, 2025. [Omondi Onyango,Standard] Learners under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) will have a second chance to change what they wish to study in Senior Secondary school within two months of admission. At the same time, the government has revealed that it will develop a new funding model for senior school set to take effect in January when the first CBC cohort transitions from Junior to Senior Secondary school. The details are outlined in the 'Final County Dialogue Report 2025,' seen by The Standard. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) implementation in Kenya, capturing stakeholder feedback across all 47 counties. Under the proposal, students in senior school will be funded depending on what they choose to study. This could mean that schools teaching technical and science subjects get higher funding due to the huge cost associated with teaching these subjects. "The government is developing a Senior School Funding Model for Grade 10 to rationalize funding per student based on pathway requirements," the report reads The ministry will also limit students from the same junior school joining the same senior boarding school to five. However, this rule will not apply to counties with few senior schools, especially in marginalised areas. The Ministry of Education has also announced plans to introduce a structured career guidance program in Grade 7. This aims to help learners make more informed decisions about what they wish to study in Senior Secondary school. And in what could be a major win for private schools, the institutions will now be included in the selection portal which students will be allowed to choose if they wish to join. This will mirror the University selection criteria that allow students to choose whether they want to join a private or public university. However, it is not clear whether the students who choose to join private schools will be provided with capitation funding like their peers in public schools. In what could be a major tilt in the training of teachers, the report has called on Kenya Sign Language to be made mandatory in the training of teachers. This means that all teachers will have to learn KSL in their training. According to the report, this has been necessitated by the shortage of special needs teachers. "Include Kenyan Sign Language as a core competency in all teacher training to support learners with hearing impairments" the report reads. Stakeholders also expressed concerns on the shortage of teachers across various learning areas. They particularly highlighted specialized learning areas such as Music in Creative Arts, Special Needs Education (SNE), and pre-technical studies. Additionally, subjects that required technical expertise, such as vocational and technical education, were highlighted as facing critical understaffing. It might also be a major win for private schools as the government now proposes for establishment of a policy to help the institutions access government supplied learning materials. Under this arrangement, the private schools are set to receive major discounts on the purchase of textbooks and reduce the financial burden on parents. "Develop a policy allowing private schools to access government-supplied learning materials through a subsidized mechanism" the report reads. The decision is in response to private school stakeholders feeling "often excluded from government textbook distribution programs. The report has also proposed the assessment of institution readiness to accommodate senior school learners. This is after it was reported by various stakeholders that many schools did not have adequate classrooms, laboratories, teachers or resources needed to offer STEM, Arts, and Social Sciences. The audit would inform pathway specialisation, addressing infrastructure deficits and support the transition to Senior School. "Prioritize a national audit of school preparedness for pathway implementation, including facilities, staffing, and instructional resources" the report reads. The report also proposes strengthening of the career guidance systems. This is after stakeholders observed that learners are set to choose subjects and career paths "too early, especially at the Senior School level". Parents and teachers suggested allowing exploration before decisions, indicating a need for informed choices. The report argues that a structured guidance and counselling approach will help the learners make informed choices. The report has also recommended that government allocates funding and support for digital devices and infrastructure, especially in underserved and rural schools. This will include solar-powered labs and mobile ICT units. This is after stakeholders pointed out that most schools did not have internet connectivity, computers, or electricity, especially in rural or remote areas. It will also be a major win for drop outs as the report now recommends for development of a path for learners to re-enter the system under CBC. This means those who studied under the 8-4-4 but did nor complete their education now have a chance to do that under CBC. Under the proposal, KICD will develop a CBC Pathway for adult learners. "Align adult learning programs with CBC principles and create structured re-entry pathways for out-of-school youth and adult learners" the report reads.

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