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{
"id": 1553714,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1553714/?format=api",
"text_counter": 292,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr Julius Migos Ogamba",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary of Education",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. The response to part (a) of the Question is that the Ministry, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), distributes books to learners across the country at the ratio of one core textbook per learner per subject. There is a table that we have provided that indicates the distribution of textbooks since the 2017/2018 Financial Year. A total of 32,579,977 books were ordered in the year 2017/2018 and 68,446,084 books were ordered in in 2018/2019. In 2019/2020, 24,456,786 books were ordered. In 2020/2021, 33,253,705 books were ordered. Some 23,539,613 books were ordered in 2021/2022. In 2022/2023, 31,233,035 books were ordered. In 2023/2024, 26,933,992 books were ordered, and 9,926,618 books were ordered in 2024/2025. Hon. Speaker, Grade 10 textbooks are undergoing evaluation and review in April through to May 2025. This will ensure that publishers have ample time to print and distribute books to public schools by the start of the third term in 2025. On part (b) of the Question, pursuant to Article 237(2) of the Constitution, the TSC strives to optimally staff schools to ensure that learners' right to quality education is achieved as shown in Appendix 2 in the document we have attached to show the staffing for both primary and secondary schools. However, there are teacher shortages in both primary and secondary schools due to budgetary constraints. For instance, Mandera, Turkana, Wajir, West Pokot and Garissa counties have the highest teacher shortages at the primary school level. Kakamega, Bungoma, Homa Bay, Trans Nzoia, Bomet and Siaya counties have the highest teacher shortages at the secondary school level. To address teacher shortages, the TSC has implemented the following measures to ensure the gap is covered: 1. There is the annual teacher recruitment plan where, under the Commission's strategic plan, there is an obligation to recruit 22,374 additional teachers annually to progressively address teacher shortages. Accordingly, the Commission submits annual budgetary requests to the National Treasury to support teacher recruitment. 2. They engage teacher interns in addition to recruitment of permanent and pensionable teachers. Annually, the Commission seeks budgetary allocation to engage 20,000 teacher interns who provide immediate staffing support while awaiting full-time employment. 3. To optimise the utilisation of available teachers, the Commission continuously monitors and implements staff balancing measures by transferring teachers from well-staffed schools to those with high teacher shortages. 4. The Commission has initiated innovative teaching methods that include live streaming lessons to supplement face-to-face teaching in schools with significant teacher shortages, particularly in remote areas. Part (c) of that Question is on noting the right of every learner to quality education. The Government has put in place measures such as posting recruited teachers to junior schools and deployment of qualified primary school teachers to junior school to ensure that all junior The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}