CS Machogu: School Heads to be Summoned on Fund Usage
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced that school principals will soon be summoned by Parliamentary committees to address concerns about their school’s funds.
Machogu noted that the government has now classified schools as independent audit units, making them directly accountable to Parliament.
Previously, the Education Cabinet Secretary or Principal Secretary answered these questions on behalf of the schools.
Machogu emphasized that the new system signifies a shift in accountability, where principals will now face parliamentary committees directly.
The CS cautioned headteachers against imposing unauthorized levies, stating that severe consequences await those who are summoned by the parliamentary committee for such actions.
Speaking at the closing of the Secondary School Heads conference in Mombasa, attended by 8,000 members of the Kenya Secondary School Head Teachers Association (KESSHA), Machogu reiterated the government’s stance against withholding National Examination Council Certificates due to unpaid school fees.
He urged principals to adhere strictly to government guidelines that prohibit this practice.
Prohibition of Illegal Levies
Machogu highlighted that the maximum allowable fees for each school level have been prescribed by the government. He warned headteachers against introducing any illegal levies, reinforcing the need to comply with existing policies.
Machogu mentioned that a comprehensive review of the education sector’s legal and policy framework, which has been in place since independence, will be submitted to Parliament before the end of the year.
This review includes a draft session paper and 13 Bills aimed at implementing the recommendations of the Presidential working party reform.
The CS outlined reforms in the computation of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, noting improvements in performance and increased entry requirements.
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The new system calculates the mean score based on English or Kiswahili or sign language, mathematics, and five other subjects.
Pathways under CBC
He detailed that senior secondary schools will offer three pathways under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC): Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), Social Science, Arts, and Sports Science.
During the 47th National Kenya Secondary School Association (KESSHA), principals recommended that the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) should operate independently to prevent State interference and ensure accountability in examination processes.
CS Machogu: School Heads to be Summoned on Fund Usage
