The government has released 9.6 billion shillings for capitation for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), Principal Secretary (PS) Ministry of Education Dr. Belio Kipsang has said.
Speaking to the media at Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls in Kakamega County on Wednesday, the PS also announced that 15 million text books for JSS have already been distributed to the schools, saying learning in those schools has now kicked off in earnest.
“80 percent of the JSS textbooks were in schools as of Monday this week, with 15 million out of the 18 million textbooks having been distributed,” he said adding that the remaining 3 million books will be in schools in a week’s time.
The PS has also revealed that 30,000 teachers recruited by the Teachers Service Commission have also been posted to schools across the country.
The PS, who later toured Butere Boys and Butere Junior Secondary School said teaching has now been stabilized in Grade 7.
“We have made good progress in terms of settling down in JSS and if there are any other challenges, it will be addressed soon after the Easter holiday,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government is working on modalities to have secondary schools start using clean cooking energy to save on destruction of forests.
PS Education Dr. Belio Kipsang says it was not sustainable any more for schools to continue depleting trees at a time the government has embarked on a 15 billion tree reforestation programme.
“We are working with stakeholders so that schools can start disengaging from use of firewood to use of clean energy, preferably use of gas,” he said.
By George Kaiga
