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"id": 213727,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/213727/?format=api",
"text_counter": 177,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Saitoti",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 205,
"legal_name": "George Muthengi Kinuthia Saitoti",
"slug": "george-saitoti"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. As hon. Members are aware, the Government has decided to fast-track the implementation of the negotiations of the teachers' salary award of 1997. In this regard, the Ministry will be implementing the final phase of the agreement and has, therefore, factored in an amount of Kshs7.11 billion during this financial year for this purpose. Furthermore, the Ministry will recruit 11,000 teachers, out of which 7,000 will replace those teachers who exit service through natural attrition, while an additional 4,000 teachers are to boost the current teacher work force of 235,000. This additional teachers will be distributed equitably in areas with critical shortages in public schools across the country. On quality issues, I would like to assure hon. Members that we are working hard to strengthen the delivery of the approved curriculum. In this regard, we are extending the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Standards through the recruitment of more officers. Indeed, recently, 240 officers were recruited by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and are expected to report to their respective stations in August. In addition, we have extended the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSES) Programme to primary teachers training colleges. From this year, trainers of primary school teachers will undergo training under the SMASSES Programme to add to and improve their training skills. It is our hope that this will lead to better Science and Mathematics teachers in our primary schools. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on for the last one year, a team of senior professionals and experts have reviewed all the relevant legislation which govern the education sector and are currently working on the Draft Bill for tabling before this House. I thank the members of the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology for their key interest in the work of the committee. I want to assure them that we shall keep them fully informed. Indeed, when the Bills will be tabled here, passed and enacted into law, this is expected to replace the Education Act, which was established way back in 1968. Hon. Members will also recall that His Excellency the President appointed a Board to review the current status of university 2530 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 17, 2007 education and make appropriate recommendations. The team has finalised and submitted its report to His Excellency the President. In addition, the Ministry appointed a task force to develop a national strategy for university education whose work is in the final stages of completion. I want to assure Kenyans and hon. Members that information from this team is being put into good use. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, education and training entails heavy investment in material resources and human capital. Unfortunately, the Government's resources are not enough to finance all our national needs. For this reason, we shall continue to call for contributions from all our partners. In this regard, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the hon. Members of this august House for their continued support, particularly through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). I wish to also urge hon. Members to keep up this support for the good of the present and future generations. However, as we plan and develop new schools, let us bear in mind that we have a limited number of teachers. For this reason, more effort needs to be placed on the expansion of the existing schools and only build new ones where they are absolutely essential. For this reason, all hon. Members and all stakeholders need to consult with the Ministry before they start new schools. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this financial year, the Ministry has been allocated a sum of Kshs106,444,120 in the Recurrent Vote and Kshs9,350,290,245 in the Development Vote. The Recurrent Estimates reflect an additional Kshs11,585,372,100 from last year's budgetary allocation of Kshs94,858,747,900 while the Development Estimates reflect a decrease of Kshs1,142,188,950 over last year's allocation of Kshs10,492,479,195.00 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I now wish to highlight the major problems in the Ministry's budget where the above resources will be applied. In case of the Recurrent Expenditure, Vote R31, the Ministry's Recurrent Budget is made up of five Sub-Votes with an allocation of Kshs106,444,120 being distributed as follows:- Sub-Vote 310: General Administration and Planning. This Sub-Vote caters for the Ministry's administrative costs, including teachers' salaries. Under this Sub-Vote, we will require a total of Kshs80,627,125,251, which will be distributed in the following expenditure Heads: Head 730, Development Planning Services, Kshs52,562,638. The provision under this Head caters for the cost of running the Ministry's Central Planning Unit. Head 834, Headquarters Administrative Services has been allocated Kshs9,671,147. This Head caters for the expenses of the headquarters support departments, such as the administration, finance, accounts, personnel, procurement, ICT and so on. Head 838, Kenya National Commission for UNESCO and the Kenya Permanent Representative to UNESCO. This will get Kshs114,647,598. The provision under this Head will cater for the cost of maintaining our office at the Permanent Representative to the UNESCO in Paris as well as the Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO here in Nairobi. Head 839, Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), will get Kshs350 million. These are grants given to the KNEC to supplement fees collected from the candidates to run national examinations and expenses of the Council's Secretariat. Head 841, Teachers Service Commission, will receive Kshs27,391,738,709. The allocation under this Head will service both the TSC Secretariat and the payment of teachers' salaries. During the current financial year, the Government will spend Kshs79 billion on teachers' salaries which include Kshs7.118 billion, which is the final phase of the negotiated salary award between the Government and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT). Head 145, Schools Audit Unit, Kshs557,864,366. The allocation on this Head will facilitate the activities of the Schools Audit Unit, which is charged with the responsibility of auditing all public schools and public tertiary training institutions to ensure proper utilisation of resources. Head 837 and Head 862, Provincial and District Education Services, Kshs1,606,252,993. The allocation under this Head will cater for the administrative costs for the running of our provincial and district education services. This will also include inspection of schools to ensure that July 17, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2531 quality in education is maintained, as well as audit services for the schools at the provincial and district levels. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Head 863 - Kenya Institute of Education - will require Kshs594,304,810. The Budget under this Head covers personal emoluments and other operating expenses for the Kenya Institute of Education, which is charged with the responsibility of curriculum development and the School Broadcasts Service. Sub-Vote 311, which will mainly cover basic education services, includes the funding of Free Primary Education and other core poverty alleviation programmes under the directorate of basic education. This will require a total sum of Kshs8,610,925,819 in the following areas. (1) Head 810, Post Primary School will require Kshs100 million. These funds will be utilised as grants to the special technical schools, which cater for children with special needs. (2) Head 811, Special Secondary Schools, will require Kshs80 million. These funds will be spent to give grants to special secondary schools. (3) Head 816, Training Field Services - Early Childhood Development - will require Kshs42,948,216. This allocation will mainly cater for the expenses of the in-servicing of pre-school teachers under the Early Childhood Development Programme. (4) Head 844, Directorate of Basic Education, will require Kshs7,736,807,354. Under this Head, the main costs relate to the grants for teaching and learning materials to all public primary schools under the Free Primary Education Programme, as well as the administration costs for the Directorate of Basic Education. In the current financial year, an allocation of Kshs7.4 billion will finance Free Primary Education, Kshs29 million will be utilised in the rehabilitation of primary schools, while Kshs279 million will be given as grants to low cost boarding primary schools in ASAL areas and pockets of poverty. (5) Head 846, School Feeding Programme, will need Kshs202,134,521. This allocation will cater for the cost of distribution of foodstuffs donated by the World Food Programme to schools under the School Feeding Programme in ASAL areas and pockets of poverty. (6) Head 847, Primary Teacher Training Colleges, will need Kshs178,716,000. The funds under this Head will be disbursed as grants for the running of primary teacher training colleges. (7) Head 848, Special Primary Education, will require Kshs200 million. As hon. Members are aware, we have many primary schools and special units that cater for children with special needs. The funds under this Head will be disbursed as grants to those schools and units. (8) Head 852, Kenya Institute of Special Education, will require Kshs70,319,712. The allocation to this Head is a grant to the institution to cater for its expenses. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Sub-Vote 312, Quality Assurance and Standards, will require Kshs104,000,172 to cater for the expenses of the Directorate of Quality Education and Standards. Sub-Vote 313, Higher Education, caters for the University sub-sector, Provincial and District Education Officers as well as secondary education, among others. It will require Kshs16,835,353,369. Head 800, Board of Governors-Maintained Secondary Schools, will require Kshs3,118,978,000. This allocation will be utilised to meet the cost of tuition fees in all public secondary schools for the firsts two terms. In this financial year, Kshs2.9 billion has already been put into place. Heads 802 and 807 cover Kenya Science Teachers College and Kagumo Diploma Teachers College respectively. The university sub-sector will require Kshs12,059,607. Head 835, Directorate of Higher Education, will require Kshs194,782,135. Bursaries, subsidies and support to education attaches will require Kshs418,012,788. The Directorate of Policy and Planning will require Kshs106,543,130. Under the Development Expenditure, we require a gross sum of Kshs9,350,280,000. The General Administration Sub-Vote will require Kshs610 million. The Kenya National Examinations Council will require Kshs250 million. The Basic Education Sub-Vote will require 2532 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 17, 2007 Kshs1,669,003,850. Sub-Vote 313, Directorate of Higher Education, will require Kshs1,213,755,340. Under the Directorate of Policy and Planning Sub-Vote, we require Kshs5,851,521,055. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to, once again, on behalf of the Government, applaud the contribution of our development partners in the development of our basic education sector and, particularly, to the on-going implementation of the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP). I would also like to assure them that, as Kenyans, we will continue to utilise the funds that they provide to us in a transparent manner and for the purposes mutually agreed upon. We appreciate the significant contribution and goodwill shown by all our development partners and stakeholders, both local and external. However, given the magnitude of the task before us, I wish to appeal for increased support from more stakeholders. A special appeal goes out to all those who are able to fund school development, because we urgently need to rehabilitate and expand many primary and secondary schools. We also need to improve the learning environment. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to emphasise the need for close co- ordination and collaboration in all that we do in education. Without strong co-ordination, collaboration and partnership we risk serious cases of unnecessary duplication and wastage of resources. On resource utilisation, I wish to inform all hon. Members that we shall remain steadfast in ensuring that available public resources are distributed equitably across the country. With those remarks, I beg to move and call upon the Minister for Finance to second the Motion."
}