By Staff Reporter
The education sector has benefitted greatly from the Sh929.5 billion set aside by the National Treasury and Planning for post-Covid-19 economic recovery strategy 2020/2021.
Parents have been eased off the burden of buying face masks for learners as the government sets aside 2.1 billion from the kitty to equip school-going children with face masks.
500 million will be used to supply masks, sanitizers and soaps from this month up to June next year. Another 600 million will be used in the next financial year for the supply of the same.
Secondary schools will get Sh1 billion for sanitizers, soap and masks for the next two years. However, the current Sh800 million will be used this financial year and the balance used in the next financial year.
Besides, the government plans to use Sh.28 billion to construct and repair the existing classrooms to ensure adherence to the social distance rule.
“Sh20.1 billion will be used to construct 4366 laboratories, 6352 classrooms 4838 sanitation facilities nationwide. In extra county boarding schools, 2.1 billion will be used to construct tuition blocks in the next two years,”’ reads part of the document.
Yet another Sh4billion is set to be used on scholarship grants to students in boarding schools.
In the budget, Sh645 million will be used to recruit professional counsellors for secondary schools and another Sh672million to construct counselling units in sub-counties.
Another Sh10 billion will be used to hire additional primary and secondary school teachers for the next two years.
The school feeding programme which has stopped in some schools will now get Sh5.6 billion. The money will also be used to improve school health comprehensive policies.
Sh152.1 billion has been set aside for schools’ capitation per child for the next two years with the government promising to review it.
In a bid to support free education, the government has set aside Sh73.1 billion as Sh78.9 will be spent in the next financial year.
Universities will get Sh103 billion as capitation grants where Sh1.4 billion will be used in expanding accommodation to create a capacity of 8000 more students.
However, Sh1.1bilion will go towards dealing with post-trauma stress for learners and teaching staff. The government will also spend Sh1.1 billion for strengthening child protection unit in schools. Learners will also get psychosocial support at a tune of Sh500million for the next two years.
Sh500 million will be used towards improving infrastructure for secondary schools with special needs.
