By AUGUSTINE ODUOR
A full in-tray awaits the new Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Thuranira Kaimenyi.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Nairobi will have to implement many reforms in the former Basic Education and the Higher Education Science and Technology ministries.
The Basic Education Act, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Act, the Kenya National Examinations Act and the Sessional Paper No 14 of 2012 on reforming education and training sectors in Kenya were all enacted last year.
Other Bills enacted include the Universities Bill, Technical and Vocation Education Training Bill and the Science, Technology and Innovation Bill.
This was in response to the constitutional requirements that now guarantee free and compulsory basic education to all children.
If vetted and approved to head the Ministry of Education, Prof Kaimenyi will have to respond to these constitutional needs.
This means the next office will address specifically what it means to provide free and compulsory education to every Kenyan child, even with the rising enrolment rates.
free laptops
He also has to improve transition to secondary schools and university. Currently, many learners miss places in secondary and universities.
Though many Kenyans have focused on the free laptops for Standard One pupils starting next year, the Jubilee Government also promised free secondary education.
This means the Ministry of Education will be tasked with the responsibility of rolling out the programme and ensuring its success.
Currently, the State caters only for students in day secondary schools. Parents with children in schools foot boarding fees.
Education stakeholders have already cast doubt on the free secondary education promise.
Reforming university education will be another challenge as the Universities Act has already set out reforms for equalising all universities by awarding charters.
The other will be establishment of one placement body for public and private universities, as the Act abolishes the Joint Admissions Board.
He will also oversee the establishing of the Technical and Vocation Education Training Authority, which will now register and license trainers (teachers).
Already, the teacher employer and the teacher unions have opposed the move.
Even though the Jubilee Government promised to reverse the previous regime’s plan of elevating middle level colleges, it is now emerging that this may not be an easy task. Jubilee is now the sponsor of the public universities.
Operationalising the Science and Innovation Act requires the State to allocate two per cent of the national budget to research.
Free primary education also has many challenges with funds meant for pupils always delayed.
Other teething problems have dogged the programme with accountability issues emerging.
The Ministry has already instituted a committee in partnership with Unicef to re-look into the free education architecture and come up with recommendations. The source of funding for basic education will be another challenge.
A lot of debate has also been on regarding scrapping of Standard Eight examinations with one side vouching for continuous assessment for the learners.
