Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has urged Senate to exercise its oversight mandate to ensure that County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) prioritise the construction of child-friendly, safe, and modern ECDE centres.
Speaking during the Senate retreat at Sawela Lodge, Naivasha, the PS told the House that Kenya is at a critical transition point in education reforms, noting that the pioneer cohort under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system had successfully transitioned to Grade 10 following the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).
“Our country is at the cusp of fundamental shifts in education. Last year, the pioneer cohort of Grade 9 learners under Competency Based Education sat for the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA). I am happy to report that we are very close to 100% transition to Grade 10.” PS Bitok noted.
The PS remarked that the Ministry had hired 100,000 teachers to ease classroom congestion and invested heavily in infrastructure, including classrooms and laboratories.
Similarly, he revealed that capitation funds were disbursed before schools reopened this term and that the Ministry had cleaned up enrollment data by removing ghost learners to improve planning accuracy.
Harmonization of Schemes of Service
However, PS Bitok called on the House to prioritise pushing for the harmonisation of schemes of service for ECDE teachers noting that the current status was unacceptable.
“We must also put our house in order in the important matter of our ECDE teachers. The current status of many of our ECDE teachers is unacceptable. In many counties, delayed salaries, lack of pension schemes, and a take-it-or-leave-it ‘volunteer’ mentality toward these professionals is common. An unhappy teacher cannot be entrusted with nurturing a child’s mind.” He noted.
Adding that: The Senate should prioritize pushing for the harmonization of schemes of service. We need to abandon stop-gap, short-term contracts to terms that attract and retain competent, well-trained professionals. I dare say the National Government is already holding the how-to candle on this. County governments should match that energy at the entry point of our education system.”
On equity of ECDEs, the PS told senators there was a policy disconnect between the ECDE-level managed by Counties and the Primary level managed by the National Government.
He urged Senate to support the education sector by insisting on and causing the implementation of a uniform curriculum across the CBE, supporting operationalisation of KEMIS to create a reliable, integrated and trackable data and in equitable resource allocation and accountable utilisation especially in ASAL and urban-poor regions.
School Feeding Programmes
On School Feeding Programmes, Bitok called on Senate to advocate for a National-County Nutritional Framework that guarantees at least one fortified meal a day for every ECDE learner across all 47 counties.
“You cannot teach a hungry child. While some counties have pioneered impressive School Feeding Programmes, others have no provision at all. This creates a ‘lottery of birth’ where a child’s nutritional health depends on the county of birth or residency.”
