Schools to get more capitation in next budget — PS Bitok

Schools will get enhanced capitation in the next budget in a bid to ease the financial strain on the institutions, Basic Education PS Julius Bitok has said.

Bitok said that the ministry's budget had already been enhanced and presented to Parliament to await the next financial allocations.

The PS further said the government was working towards a solarisation project that will see all schools convert to solar energy in a bid to cut electricity costs and ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply.

Bitok was speaking in Nakuru County during Elimu Mashinani Convention, where he engaged stakeholders on practical solutions to improve education standards.

He rallied the stakeholders to stand together in shaping a more inclusive, quality-driven future for every learner, under the hashtag #ElimuThabiti.

The PS urged principals to regularly engage with their learners in a bid to thwart school unrest by dealing with any issues before they spiral out of control.

Bitok told the stakeholders that the issues of drug abuse and teenage pregnancies were a cause of concern and appealed to all stakeholders to work together towards eliminating them in educational institutions.

He further said girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy should be allowed to return and complete their studies after delivery.

He added that education officials were working closely with national government administrators to trace any other students who may have dropped out of school for other reasons to ensure they are readmitted.

Botok challenged the stakeholders to come together and identify ways of ensuring better performance in the national exams, saying that last year's results for the county were unsatisfactory.

He noted that out of the 49,000 candidates in the county, only 7,200 attained the university cut-off mark of a C+.

He assured KNEC examiners that their dues would be paid within the next two weeks, saying the delay had been occasioned by lack of finances.

The PS told the stakeholders that the government would in the next few weeks, roll out the KEMIS programme to establish the exact number of students in schools, saying that some head teachers could be misrepresenting the actual number of students in their institutions.

In his remarks, Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara admitted that drug trafficking in education institutions remains a major challenge.

However, Kibaara said administrators and security agencies were monitoring this across institutions to nip the practice.

He urged school administrators, who may need the help of sniffer dogs to trace drugs within their institutions, to liaise with the national government administrators in their regions.

Kibaara further said criminal gangs continue to endanger students by recruiting them and forcing them to drop out of school.

He noted that security agencies had already arrested several suspects, and the crackdown will be sustained.

The county commissioner called on government administrative and security agencies to remain vigilant at all times.