The chairman of the National Assembly’s Education Committee Julius Melly has announced that going forward, they will be incorporating county education offices in their decision-making processes.
Melly said that this collaboration is aimed at identifying schools that will benefit from infrastructure development funds for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
He further revealed that the committees will collaborate closely with sub-county directors of education and deputy county commissioners as they embark on this programme.
The chairman also noted that the initiative is informed by the allocation of substantial amounts to the Ministry of Education (MoE) by the National Treasury in this Financial Year’s (FY) budget, specifically to the State Department for Basic Education.
Additionally, he highlighted that Ksh3.37 billion has been earmarked for the 2023/2024 FY, with the primary objective of constructing classrooms and Integrated Learning Resource Centres within JSS.
“This allocation comes in the form of a conditional grant, and it is proposed to be jointly managed by the MoE and the NG-CDF,” the chairman stated.
He also mentioned that the rationale behind this partnership is to ensure a harmonious and timely execution of the programme, ultimately benefiting the education sector.
Melly said that the distribution of funds to constituencies is intricately tied to grade seven enrollment figures, and each constituency is expected to match the grant on a one-to-one basis.
He emphasized that constituency proposals must be infused with MoE input duly approved by the Board.
The Chair noted that the government has ambitious plans to construct approximately 3,000 classrooms over the next three FYs.
“This initiative aims to bridge the infrastructure gap as Grade 6 pupils transition to junior school,” he stated.
Melly revealed that Treasury contemplates a minimum of 906 classrooms will be put up in the current FY, with additional construction planned for subsequent years.
He also said that beyond classrooms, the government’s vision extends to constructing 400 laboratories for Junior Secondary School (JSS) in the coming year, with 837 more slated for the years to follow.
Melly further said that over 6,100 schools are earmarked for renovation within the same timeframe.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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