State urged to raise subsidies to Sh3,000 per student

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

Parents and teachers want free primary education capitation per child increased to Sh3,000, a new report shows.

Currently, the Ministry of Education provides a Sh1,020 subsidy per pupil and plans to raise it by Sh500, according to the ministry’s budget seen by The Standard.

This means that each child will now get Sh1,520.

The document also indicates the ministry has proposed to increase capitation for day secondary school students by some Sh500. The annual capitation for these cadre of students will increase to Sh1,520 from the current Sh1,020. Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said these increments represent 33 per cent and 39 per cent rise for primary and secondary schools respectively.

However, The National Taxpayers (NTA) report, School Report Card 2013, says a third of the schools surveyed proposed that the least a child should get as capitation is Sh2,000. It says that parents and teachers proposed the average amount per child to be capped at Sh3,384. The highest amount proposed by some parents and teachers was Sh15,000.

The report indicates that Kisumu County had the highest proposal of Sh3,712 against proposals from Baringo County, which stood at Sh2,579.

The NTA national chairman Peter Kubebea said drastic measures must be made to revise the capitation.

Enhance quality

“The Government must get money even if it means borrowing, to ensure the sector is well funded to enhance quality education,” he said.

Kaimenyi, however, said the proposed increments will only be effected if the budget is approved. The ministry has been allocated Sh13.76 billion up from the Sh9.9 billion the ministry had requested. Some 9.4 million pupils in primary schools will benefit.

And for secondary schools, the ministry has been allocated Sh27.8 billion against the Sh22.6 billion it had requested. This means some two million secondary school students will benefit from this increment.

Kaimenyi however said a substantive fees guideline will be revealed next month after the Kilemi Mwiria-led task force presents its findings.