By Education News Reporter
The Ministry of Education has disbursed funds for Free Primary Education (FPE) to all public primary schools’ account in Kenya for this third term at a capitation rate of Ksh. 154 per student.
In a circular to all Regional, County and Sub-County Directors of Education dated October 11, 2022 Principal Secretary in the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education Dr. Julius Jwan has instructed all headteachers to ensure that the information on receipt of capitation grant is displayed on the school’s notice boards and the budget tabled and discussed in Board of Management (BOM) meetings.
The Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs) have further been instructed to regularly monitor the utilization of the disbursed funds in order to ensure strict adherence to the Ministry’s guidelines.
“Sub-County Directors of Education should receive acknowledgements from schools upon receipt of funds, prepare summaries of funds received by every school and forward the same to their CDEs (County Directors of Education) who will in turn forward the same to Director, Primary Education within 2 weeks,” stated Dr. Jwan in the Circular.
Of the Ksh. 154 disbursed per student in all public primary schools, Ksh. 46.20 per student will go to Schools’ Simba account which is the first account and will be used for: textbook maintenance (Ksh. 4.20), exercise books (Ksh. 20), reference materials (Ksh. 5) and stationery (Ksh. 17).
The remaining Ksh. 107.80 per student will go the school’s second account and will be utilized for: Support Staff Wages (Ksh. 30); renovation of classrooms, buildings of toilets, repairs, maintenance and improvement of physical facilities (Ksh. 15); local travel and transport (Ksh. 9); Electricity, Water and Conservancy (Ksh. 11.50); telephone, box rental and postage (Ksh 1.50).
Environment and Sanitation (Ksh. 8), capacity building and meetings (BOM) Ksh. 15, contingencies (Ksh. 2.50), Science and Applied Technology (Ksh. 2.80); Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure materials (Ksh. 2.50); and assessments (Ksh. 10).
“County Directors of Education should ensure that the information is availed to all public primary schools’ head teachers in their jurisdiction immediately to enable them utilize the funds as outlined,” added Dr. Jwan.
This comes when all primary schools in the country are preparing for double national examinations; the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Grade Six (6) candidates who will be sitting for their national summative assessment, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) from November 28, 2022 to November 30, 2022 after their rehearsals on November 25, 2022.
