Finance Bill puts more money in education but gaps still abound

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Available evidence shows that countries with a higher proportion of the population with completed tertiary education industrialise faster and are less poor - a case in point is South Korea with 69 per cent of the population aged 25-34 years in 2021.

For this reason, countries must invest in quality and inclusive education, right from the foundational years. Public education is financed through taxes and direct user charges. That said, the Finance Bill, 2023 has no intention of financing education from any specific levy.