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December 09, 2004

PRESS STATEMENT
FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Our attention has been drawn to the lead story in the Daily Nation titled: "Kibaki's about-turn on free schools deal." We would like to make the following clarifications:

When the NARC Government declared Free Primary Education in January 2003 the intention was to remove all levies that previously prevented children especially the vulnerable groups from accessing education.

The Government continues and remains committed to support the Free Primary Education (FPE) through the provision of Instructional Materials, teachers, maintenance and Quality Assurance Services.

In pursuant of the Economic Recovery and Wealth Creation Strategy, the Government has embarked on additional support for infrastructural development in ASAL and urban slums.

The Government in collaboration with Development Partners is working towards an investment program for improving primary and secondary schools infrastructure targeting the ASAL areas, informal settlements (slums) and pockets of poverty. Currently, Kshs.150 million has been set aside to support infrastructure development for schools in North Eastern Province, and another Kshs.45 million for the same in Isiolo, Marsabit and Moyale. Further, the Government intends to spend Kshs.40 million for infrastructure in other ASAL Districts and Kshs.40 million for urban slums except Nairobi where a full programme for slum school development is being developed under the Ministry of Local Government. Under poverty reduction focus, there will be very few areas in Kenya where new schools will be constructed except ASAL areas and in informal urban settlements where, in the past few schools have been developed.

It is important to appreciate that historically, education and training provision in Kenya has been through partnership and collaboration between the Government, development partners, households, communities, civil society organizations and private sector. The Government remains committed to this approach.

While declaring Primary Education as free in January 2003, the Government did not bar parents from making contributions towards education, indeed the role of each Partner is explicitly outlined in the Free Primary Education Booklet that was released in 2003. The President's speech on 8th December 2004 during the KNUT Annual Delegates meeting only reinforced existing policy. It would be unfortunate if some members of our society misconstrued FPE to mean barring parents from participation in the provision of education and training services.

Parents have the responsibility to take their children to school, encourage them to learn, provide uniform, food and build and maintain school facilities among other things. Above all parents have a responsibility to support and be involved in schools management to ensure accountability and transparency in resource management.

It will be recalled that following the introduction of Free Primary education we witnessed overcrowding in lower primary as a result of increased enrolments, from 5.9 million to above 7.2 million. Currently, there are 7.5 million primary school children in both formal and non-formal learning centres.

The message that we get from this information is that new classrooms are required particularly as the lower classes progress towards standard eight. In this situation, parents will not be required to build new classrooms where these already exist but it will be their responsibility to improve and refurbish the existing ones. Where facilities are lacking, parents and communities are encouraged to use locally available materials to construct classrooms. The Free Primary Education programme should not and was never intended to stop these important community initiatives.

In the Secondary Education sub-sector, provision has been through partnerships between the Government and other Partners, with the Government providing teachers and targeted instructional materials such as Science equipment to targeted needy schools. The Communities, on their part are expected to continue supporting the provision of education through the improvement of physical facilities. However, given the high poverty levels, the Government policy on the establishment of secondary schools is that new schools will be funded in ASAL areas and urban slums where communities may not afford to build them.

Contrary to what appears in media reports there is no change in the policy of provision of Free Primary Education. As has always been the case communities and parents will continue supporting the Free Primary Education initiative through improvement of facilities. However, no child will be denied access to education because the parent or guardian cannot afford to pay for such facilities.

Finally, we remain committed to our poverty reduction measures already documented in our Economic Recovery Strategy Paper.

PPS
9th December, 2004