The Ministry of Education has released the previously delayed funds for Free Day Junior Secondary Schools for the third term, alongside new stringent conditions for school managers regarding the management of these funds.
The Ministry has emphasized its commitment to addressing any instances of resource misappropriation or unauthorized levies with strict measures.
According to a statement from Dr. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Basic Education, each student will receive Sh2,403, and schools have been allocated Sh74,793 as a basic grant.
Dr. Kipsang has also instructed school heads to ensure that all students sign a class list that includes their admission numbers and full names, as recorded in the register, along with the amount of funds allocated to them.
“The list should be attached to the payment voucher kept in the school as per procedure and every student issued with a school official receipt for the allocation,” Dr Kipsang says in his letter.
Each school head will be held accountable for the application and use of the funds allocated to their school, serving as the school’s accounting officer.
Additionally, schools are prohibited from charging students for lunch programs, a practice that has been common in many day junior secondary schools (JSS).
The notice, dated September 2, provides a detailed breakdown of fund allocation based on data from the National Education Management Information Systems (NEMIS).
The allocations include:
– Personal Emoluments: Sh43,316
– Boards of Management (BOM) Meetings, Capacity Building, Rental Box, and Telephone Charges: Sh17,919
– Internet Connectivity: Sh7,350
– Repairs and Maintenance, Administrative Costs, Co-curricular Activities, Travel, Medical, and Insurance Expenses: Sh1,160
– Stationery/Writing Materials, Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) Practicals, Assessments, and Laboratory Materials: Sh1,243
– Electricity, Water, and Conservancy: Sh2,352
– Reference Materials: Sh3,856.20
– Repairs, Maintenance, and Improvement: Sh640
– Administrative Costs: Sh130
– Co-curricular Activities: Sh140
– Local Transport and Travel: Sh160
– Medical and Insurance: Sh80 per student
Under the tuition category, each student will receive:
– Capacity Building: Sh20
– Textbooks and Supplementary Readers: Sh366
– Laboratory Materials: Sh90
– Materials for Assessments: Sh240
– Stationery and Writing Materials: Sh400
Totaling to Sh856.
The Ministry has also emphasized that Junior Secondary Schools will not be permitted to charge any additional fees or levies, including those for lunch programs.
Dr. Kipsang warned that schools failing to acknowledge receipt of the funds within two weeks through NEMIS will face indefinite suspension from the program.
“All Boards of Management are expected to ensure prudence in the use of school funds and to adhere to the laid down financial regulations as stipulated in the Public Finance Management Act,” says the notice by the PS.
He further says that Junior Schools are not allowed to enter into financial commitments like hire purchase or bank loans without express written approval from the Education Cabinet Secretary.
To ensure accountability of the funds, Dr Kipsang says schools whose characteristics are found to differ with the amount of money sent from the Ministry would in future be left out of disbursements.
“Such schools will receive their funds once the correct details are provided and confirmed. The head teachers of the concerned schools shall write to the office of the Principal Secretary detailing the correct UIC, account details and emoluments.” he says.
Dr. Kipsang also mandates that sub-county directors of education submit a list of all affected schools to the Principal Secretary’s office within two weeks of the fund disbursement.
The Principal Secretary emphasizes that funds allocated for tuition must be used exclusively for purchasing teaching and learning materials.
Last month, the Ministry allocated Sh21.8 billion to all public institutions in preparation for the school reopening on Monday, August 26. During the announcement, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stated that the funds were intended to ensure a smooth start to the new term.
He instructed school heads to utilize the funds appropriately for the benefit of students and warned against the imposition of any unauthorized fees.
