How the 2023/2024 Education budget will be shared and spent by TSC and other departments

BREAKING DOWN THE EDUCATION BUDGET 2023.

In the 2023 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) that will be presented to the National Assembly tomorrow, Sh597 billion has been proposed for the field of education. To be specific to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).

For student loans at universities and higher institutions, the Higher Education Loans Board had requested Sh25 billion but has been allotted Sh17 billion.

With a budget of Sh1.8 billion, the Open University of Kenya is a real possibility. The university, which will begin accepting students in September, is currently being established by a technical group led by Professor Ezra Maritim.

The remaining 52 constituencies will each receive Sh1 billion from the State Directorate for Technical Vocational Education and Training to fund the construction of technical training institutes.

The initial construction phase would cost each constituency Sh20 million, and the entire project is projected to take three years to finish.

Following the passage of a budget to hire additional teachers, the government has made a significant revelation in the field of education.

In order to counteract the scarcity of teachers that threatens the success of the government’s 100% transition program, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been lobbying Parliament for extra funding for employing sufficient teachers.

Unemployed With the budget approved by Parliament, more teachers will be hired, giving teachers more hope of finding work in the future.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly reportedly approved Ksh 2.5 Billion to hire 5,000 additional teachers.
Many out of work teachers hoping to secure permanent, pensionable positions with the government.

Many candidates for the teaching positions advertised in January are now participating in interviews.

In the 2023 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) that will be presented to the National Assembly tomorrow, Sh597 billion has been proposed for the field of education. To be specific to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
Even with the additional funds, the education sector still has massive shortfalls of up to Sh200 billion across 13 programs. These include funding for junior secondary schools (JSS), hiring and promoting more teachers, improving school facilities, and funding higher education.

The National Assembly’s Education Committee drafted it based on recommendations from the ministry’s three divisions and the TSC.

TSC receives Sh322,733 billion (or a majority of the total). The rollout of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) in January was met with a severe staffing difficulty, however Sh3.8 million was allocated to hire 20,000 additional teachers to support JSS.

The salaries of the 10,000 full-time teachers and 20,000 interns appointed in February on permanent and pensionable terms would cost Sh11.1 billion.

Mr. Julius Melly (Tinderet, UDA) chairs the committee, and he has proposed to the Budget and Appropriations Committee that the limit for TSC be raised so that Sh2.2 billion can be utilized to advance teachers.

Unions representing teachers have long demanded that thousands of teachers who have been waiting for promotions but haven’t received them be moved up to higher job group.

Yet, this year’s promotion rate is far lower than what unions have been pushing for.

The Competency-Based has been granted Sh1.3 billion by Teachers Service Commission .

Despite earlier assurances that the government would alleviate the stress placed on teachers, the BPS does not provide funding for the required Teacher Professional Development programs.

On February 27 and 28, the Committee deliberated about the BPS’s contents with the Ministry of Education and TSC in attendance.

The anticipated cost rise is biggest for primary and secondary schools. The planned budget for the department is Sh130 billion, which is a 30 percent increase over the Sh110.7 billion in 2022.