Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has launched the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (NESSP) for the period 2023-2027.
This comprehensive blueprint will steer Kenya’s education sector over the next five years which is proof that the country is ready and prepared to midwife the implementation of the raft of reforms that are lined up.
According to the CS, this is the first Strategic Plan to be drafted under the Kenya Kwanza Government signaling its resolve to give priority to education programmes, which are largely seen as the key cornerstones upon which the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation (BETA) will be anchored.
Insisting on the Government’s collective commitment to education, Machogu foreshadowed the reading of the Budget Statement for the 2024/2035 next week in Parliament that will see the allocation of the lion’s share of resources to the education sector
Further, he commended his colleagues in the Ministry of Education and development partners for working round the clock to finalise this Strategic Plan, which will immediately be put to use in guiding education programmes nationally.
“Having thoroughly read the document, I have no doubt that this Strategic Plan will ensure that we succeed in the delivery of the important education service. This well-done strategic plan is indeed a clear testimony that we will not fail to deliver robust and solid education programmes to our children and youth,” he maintained.
Speaking at the Kenya School of Government, Machogu highlighted that the plan has adopted a bold vision of an inclusive and equitable quality education, training and research for prosperity.
This vision, he continued, underscores the Government’s commitment to ensuring that every citizen, regardless of their background or circumstances, has access to quality education that empowers them and contributes to the prosperity of our nation.
The CS pointed out that the key pillars contained in the Strategic Plan have made it clear where the national focus is on education noting that they emphasize the issues of promoting inclusive practices that celebrate diversity and provide equal opportunities for success; Promoting cutting-edge teaching and learning methodologies that foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills; strengthening education management systems, improve transparency, and ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively.
He mentioned that the pillars also seek to establish mechanisms for ongoing training and support to keep pace with evolving educational practices; and enhance digital literacy, provide access to online resources, and promote the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
Machogu reckoned that the launch of this Strategic Plan comes at a time when the education sector is undergoing major reforms as he announced that the Plan has incorporated the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms that were contained in the report handed over to the President last year.
Additionally, he disclosed that the Ministry has drafted a Sessional Paper and a number of proposed legislation that, once passed by Parliament, will effectively roll-out the education reforms as outlined in the Presidential Working Party Report.
The CS noted that this Strategic Plan lays out a clear roadmap for the smooth transition from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency Based Curriculum as he cautioned that the well-thought reforms and programmes contained in the Plan will not be achieved if the roadmap is not resourced and as a result, the implementation of the Strategic Plan will require heavy financial and human capital investments.
Machogu stated that the implementation and coordination framework of the Strategic Plan is detailed in a cost implementation matrix, that would ensure resources are efficiently and effectively utilized and in total, the Plan will cost about Ksh.5.2 trillion over the next five years.
“To achieve the goal of the Strategic Plan, therefore, all sector players would need to play their part to mobilise the requisite resource requirements. To this end, we will seek support from government, development partners, private sector investments, and community contributions,” said the CS.
Giving a sneak preview into the Strategic Plan, Machogu outlined that the Ministry plans to construct 16,000 new classrooms for the Junior School by December 2024 including the provision for renovations, rehabilitation and construction of other facilities such as laboratories, dining halls and WASH facilities.
This plan, he continued, further outlines the need to employ an additional 111,870 teachers to address the teacher shortage in addition to a clear road map for inclusion for the country’s special needs learners at all levels of education.
To improve on equitable access to education, the CS divulged that the Ministry, with support from Partners, has been implementing the School Meals Programme targeting marginalized children in the ASAL counties and urban poor children.
“To date, the programme has been able to benefit 2.6 million school going children. Data indicates that there is an increase in daily school attendance and retention when the feeding programme is running and a decline when the programme stops or is delayed,” he remarked.
Machogu recalled that in May 2023, the government launched the New Funding Model to finance tertiary education which uses a Student Centred approach whereby each student is funded based on the level of need.
He said that the model was implemented for first year students who joined universities and TVETs in September 2024 and as at May 2024, a total of 112,741 university students and 151,933 TVET learners applied for scholarships and loans from the Universities Fund and HELB respectively.
Further, he cited a total of Sh 24.76B was disbursed to scholarships and loans for universities students, while Sh 11.3B went to TVET trainees.
The CS reiterated that for the first time since the government adopted cost sharing in higher education, 100 percent of the applicants received financial support to pursue their programme of choice in the country’s universities and TVET institutions.
“This year, the second cohort of students joining TVET and Universities will also receive financial support under the New Funding Model. Of the 895,232 candidates who sat the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination, 153,274 students have been placed by KUCCPS to various Degree programmes in Universities including those who applied to the Open University of Kenya and a total of 75,718 applicants were placed in TVET institutions,” revealed Machogu.
Concurrently, Machogu said that applications for Open University of Kenya programmes continues on the KUCCPS portal where he urged all Kenyans who wish to further their studies to take advantage of its flexibility and enroll for its globally competitive programmes.
By Michael Omondi
