TSC Receives 9.35B Budget Boost

TSC Receives 9.35B Budget Boost. The National Treasury has announced significant budget cuts under the Programme Based Budget 2024/25, affecting key sectors like Agriculture, Healthcare, Energy, Cooperatives, and Trade and Industry, sending shockwaves through the education sector.

Education bears the brunt of these reductions, with State Departments overseeing Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), Higher Education, and Basic Education facing a substantial cut totaling over Ksh 57 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.

TVETs are set to lose Ksh 2.94 billion, Higher Education faces a reduction of Ksh 34.39 billion, and Basic Education is projected to suffer a significant drop of Ksh 19.43 billion.

Primary schools are particularly impacted within Basic Education, facing a Ksh 6.64 billion cut, while secondary education sees a modest increase. Quality assurance and standards in basic education also face a Ksh 1 billion reduction.

Universities within the State Department for Higher Education are not spared, with a loss of about Ksh 9 billion. This poses challenges for public universities, which heavily rely on funding for operational sustainability, facing financial difficulties and accumulating pending bills totaling Ksh 75 billion.

Despite the overall decrease, there is some relief for teachers, as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to receive a significant boost of Ksh 9.35 billion to hire 20,000 teachers in the current fiscal year, aiming to address shortages and improve the teacher-student ratio.

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu emphasized the gravity of the situation, highlighting the hiring efforts under the Kenya Kwanza administration, which brought 56,750 teachers on board to ensure smooth school operations.

The State Department for Basic Education holds diverse responsibilities, including managing Basic Education Policy, overseeing primary and secondary education institutions, curriculum development, and administering national examinations. TSC Receives 9.35B Budget Boost.