The government has more or less attained its objective of sending all Standard Eight leavers to secondary school.
Statistics released last week indicated that more than a million learners have joined Form One. This is no mean feat.
For years, the country has grappled with huge wastage in the school system as thousands of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) graduates perennially failed to progress to secondary school due to lack of places as well as crippling poverty.
The 100 per cent transition policy has significantly enhanced enrolment and put universal basic education — internationally recognised as at least 12 years of schooling — within reach.
All international charters, like Education for All (EFA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), commit nations to do that.
Henceforth, the discourse should shift from access to equity and quality. Equity means that all learners, boys and girls, and all regions should have access to primary and secondary education. And it must be quality education.
For it is meaningless to push every learner to school but they fail to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable the individual to thrive in a dynamic and competitive environment.
Quality is determined by several variables, among them the availability of adequate and well-trained teachers; an appropriate and vibrant curriculum; a conducive learning environment with sufficient learning and teaching resources, and an effective management structure. Add to this, the security and safety of learners.
At present, there is an acute shortage of learning and teaching facilities. Expansion has led to congestion, with most schools putting more than 60 learners in a classroom.
In the context of acute teacher shortage and inadequate funding for schools, matters are getting out of hand.
Teachers Service Commission statistics show a shortage of about 100,000 teachers, but due to lack of funds the numbers cannot be raised.
Compounding the matter is a collapsed system for quality and standards enforcement.
An even excruciating challenge is financing. On paper, the government subsidises secondary education, allocating some 22,000 for every learner annually.
However, in reality, schools hardly get the subvention. Often, the subsidy arrives late and, when disbursed, just a fraction of it is sent to schools. Fees is capped at Sh53,000 a year. Precisely, schools are underfunded.
Thus, the government should tackle the in-school factors that are likely to push many learners out.
It is imperative that the government match its 100 per cent transition policy with sufficient funding and resources to schools.
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