How the new Ruto plan can affect your child’s education.
In the event that a recently announced plan is carried out, the education industry is set for significant changes within the next five years.
The future appears bright, with more funding for special needs education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses as well as improved resourcing and digital learning.
President William Ruto is not only interested in physical assets; the national education sector strategic plan 2023–27 demonstrates his fondness for software problems that are crucial to the smooth operation of a contemporary educational system.
The President has made no secret of his intention to undergo a drastic makeover of the industry to bring it into line with the digital age.
Among his recommendations include eliminating certain courses, enhancing STEM education, and completely reworking the model of education financing to better suit the nation’s financial circumstances.
The top priority is, in particular, improving ICT integration in teaching and learning. The implementation period is set for now until 2027. Additionally, the state intends to spend Sh80 million to connect about 9,000 schools to the internet.
In the first year of the five-year plan, 1,000 schools will be connected, and in the second year, that number will double.
Additionally, plans call for adding 2,500 more schools to the internet grid each year for the following two years, followed by 1,000 more schools in the fifth year.
The creation and implementation of digital applications for ICT integration in the classroom and mainstreaming STEM education are two aspects of this endeavor.
Upgrading and maintaining the current infrastructure is part of government goals for infrastructure development. This article primarily focuses on affordable boarding schools that serve lower-class households.
At a cost of Sh700 million, one hundred new education resource centers would be constructed and renovated.
The construction of two hundred classrooms for feeder schools is planned at a cost of Sh100 million. The plan states that it intends to spend Sh125 million over the course of the planned year to construct 60 new dining halls at affordable boarding schools.
Enhancing quality control through the professionalization and institutionalization of the quality assurance and accreditation system goes hand in hand with this.
According to the strategy, achieving 2,500 “[quality assurance] officers whose skills have been developed”—which translates to 500 officers annually at an estimated cost of Sh150 million—will be the benchmark for success in this regard.
Additionally, the plan states that special needs educators will receive training “on preliminary screening of learners with special needs and disabilities” with a target of 3,400 as part of reorganizing the delivery of specialized teaching services.
One year will see the training of 1,500 of these teachers, with the remainder number being trained over the course of the following two years. The suggested price for this is Sh96 million.
Additionally, by “developing a framework for engaging county governments, parents, communities, and other education partners,” the state intends to shift public perception of early childhood education and give it the priority it deserves.
The goal of the state is to “align curriculum with societal needs and industry demands” at a time when unemployment is at an all-time high and educational institutions are held accountable for producing graduates who lack relevant skills and are unable to adjust to changing job markets.
The plan states that it aims to implement 3,900 “electronic curriculum support materials and programs produced and transmitted” in this regard.
Digitizing the curriculum content and enhancing the abilities of educators and trainers to provide a skill-based education that recognizes the changes in the labor market are also components of this.
In accordance with the plan, learners with special needs and those from vulnerable backgrounds will receive priority support, and the regime for capitation, bursaries, scholarships, and loans should be revised throughout the plan term.
While grants, loans, and bursaries are intended for the most deserving students, the capitation is intended for all students.
The capitation will be paid to 36 million students in elementary schools, 13.4 million in junior schools, and 18.6 million in senior schools.
The strategy also goes into great depth on research and innovation-focused mentoring and apprenticeship, with the goal of empowering the next generation of school dropouts who can support themselves.
The plan states that the cost of the gifts will rise “over the period due to the ongoing education sector reforms” in terms of cost.
According to the plan, the State Department of Basic Education has to raise funds by 2023–2024 from Sh198,787 million to Sh236,962 million in 2027–2028. This is a 20.2% increase.
The technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sub-sector has a financial requirement of Sh34,454 million for 2023–2024 and Sh35,164 million for 2027–2028. This is an 8.3% increase.
“The budgetary requirement for the higher education sub-sector in 2023–2024 is Sh251,391 million, and it will climb to Sh386,963 million in 2027–2028, or a 53.9 million increase.”
How the new Ruto plan can affect your child’s education.
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