Two teacher unions have banded together to demand increased funding for the Competency Based Curriculum.
The main challenge in CBC, according to the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, is a lack of funds.
These demands were made by the two unions when they submitted their views to the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform on Wednesday.
According to Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori, despite education accounting for nearly 29% of the national budget, much of the money is spent on other departments.
Misori claims that the early learning basic education sector, which oversees all curriculum policies, is underfunded.
“By implication, the total recurrent and development expenditure to basic education has been allocated approximately Sh120 billion, excluding teachers’ salaries and trainings,” he said.
Misori observed that a lack of adequate funding has a knock-on effect on parents, who end up bearing the burden of the deficit.
“This is a drop in the bucket, and it explains why parents are being asked to purchase a variety of school learning materials,” he said.
In the fiscal year 2020/2021, the education sector received Sh497 billion in budgetary allocation.
The funds increased to Sh503.9 billion in 2021/2022 and Sh544.4 billion in 2022/2023.
According to Misori, these funds are divided among three state departments and nearly six other state agencies and commissions.
“It will be split with TSC receiving 50%, public universities receiving 20%, non-salary allocation to basic programs receiving 21.7 percent, and Tvet receiving 3.6 percent,” he explained.
Knut SG Collins Oyuu, for his part, addressed the issue of capitation sent to primary and secondary schools.
According to Oyuu, the figures should be increased in order for the new curriculum to run smoothly.
