The sector will continue to implement other programmes besides the flagship projects. These programmes are aimed at achieving the broad sector strategic objectives of enhancing access, equity, quality and relevance. The programmes are in line with Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005, the KESSP, Sector Strategic Plans and Sub-sector Strategic Plans.
- Early Childhood Development and Education Programme: The government will integrate ECDE into the basic education curriculum, with a view to improving its management, increasing access to ECDE and enhancing retention at lower primary school level. Currently, the programme entails community mobilisation and capacity building, provision of community support grants, review of ECDE curriculum, promotion of ECDE health and provision and primary school readiness. In addition, the government will support provision of teaching and learning materials, trained teachers and infrastructure.
- Basic Education Programme: The government will support the sector in alternative basic education programmes including Non-Formal Education (NFE) schools, madrassas and mobile schools. In an effort to ensure full utilisation of the boarding schools in ASAL, the sector will mount community sensitisation programmes.
- Grants to Non Formal Schools: The sector has for the last five years been providing grants to NFSs for teaching and learning materials. Currently, there are 208 non formal schools registered and receiving grants. There are still more NFSs which are not yet registered hence missing out in the provision of grants. In the plan period the sector will assess and register all viable NFSs and provide support in form of grants in order to enhance its efforts towards reaching children in hardship/disadvantaged zones.
- Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE): The FDSE aims at enhancing equity, access and improving transition from primary to secondary. To achieve this, the sector will continue to implement secondary school expansion strategy which among other things recommends the expansion of secondary education by construction of new schools of at least three streams and increasing class size from 40 to 45. To ensure successful implementation of the Strategy, the government introduced free tuition in Secondary schools in January 2008.
- Secondary School Bursaries: The programme enhances access, equity and retention at secondary level. These bursaries target vulnerable groups. These include orphans, the girls and children from poor families in slum areas, pockets of poverty in high potential areas, and ASAL districts. Although the government has introduced free tuition secondary education, the programme will be continued to assist the poor and vulnerable groups meet the other expenses not catered for by the government such as boarding fees.
- University Education: In an effort to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of university students from the present 3 per cent to 15 per cent, the number of students will be increased from the current 130,000 to about 450,000 students by 2015. The strategies to achieve this include:
- establishing new university colleges in regional areas, with specific focus on strategic disciplines deemed important to the regions;
- expanding the capacities of existing universities and establishing campus colleges of existing universities in strategic areas; and
- upgrading existing middle-level colleges to degree-granting institutions without losing their current mandate.
In addition to the above measures, there will be streamlining and fast-tracking of postgraduate programmes in order to increase the number of PhD holders required for university education and other national needs. This will entail an increase postgraduate student enrollment to at least 10 per cent of the undergraduate enrollment. This can be achieved by increasing the number of government grants and incentives provided to local universities. Nevertheless, such an expansion calls for reforms that will ensure that quality and relevance are not compromised. To achieve this total a of Kshs. 14 billion additional funding will be required to finance the initiative.
- Curriculum Development and Review: Curriculum development and review will ensure quality and relevance in education and training for the realisation of Vision 2030. Under this area, KIE will undertake the following: development and revision of the curriculum, digitisation of the secondary curriculum, development of curriculum support materials, in-servicing and orientation activities, enhancement of out reach programmes, capacity building, needs assessment on adult education and training, education of learners with special needs and child minders, and monitoring and evaluation of curriculum at all levels. The CHE will therefore be strengthened to accredit university curricula.
- University-Industry Linkage: Universities will build strong partnerships with other universities, industries, international organisations and communities through a policy environment that is conducive to growth. The linkages will be instrumental in boosting the relevance of university education, mobilising resources, enhancing research activities and facilitating technology transfer.
- HIV/AIDS Programme: To strengthen the sector’s capacity to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and mitigation, the following will be undertaken:
- In-service training for staff in Primary and Secondary schools on HIV/AIDS;
- Peer support initiatives in education and training institutions;
- Orientation on curriculum materials; and
- Provision of teaching and learning materials in the various sub- sectors, as well as the provision of a school health club activity kit.
In order to implement workplace interventions, the establishment of networks of Teachers Living With HIV/AIDS (TLWHA) will be strengthened. Additionally will be the implementation of the Education sector policy on HIV/ AIDS in the workplace, including the revision and distribution of guide on regulations. The ACUs of all institutions under the sector will be strengthened in order to entrench management response to the effects of the scourge.
