Loveol Primary School prepares to perform an African Luo song game on the day of the National Music Festival in Kisumu District. [Collins Oduor, Standard]
All extracurricular activities in elementary and secondary schools are funded by the state.
Education chief secretary Berio Kipsang said this would ease the burden on parents. After the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, school activities were suspended.
Earlier, the state had pledged to spend 3.5 billion shillings on co-curricular activities in public primary and secondary schools in 2020.
Mr Kipsang, who was an education CS at the time, said 2.8 billion shillings would go to secondary schools and 700 million shillings to primary schools and for sports among other co-curricular activities.
Last year, activities such as sports and theater gradually resumed, but this year the school is expected to return to the normal school calendar when the school opens on January 23rd.
In a letter to education directors dated December 21, 2022, PS did not indicate costs, but claimed that the government would cover the costs of all co-curricular activities.
“Government funding shall cover travel, accommodation and living expenses for all students participating in all co-curricular activities at all levels of activity,” Kipsang said.
Sports, music and theater festivals, science and engineering fairs, and more.
PS has directed local, county, and sub-county education officers to conduct elections for new boards that will administer the fund.
The committee shall consist of education officers at all levels, primary, secondary and private school association representatives, special education, teachers service commission TSC quality assurance and standards officers.
“As you know, the term of the existing extracurricular activities committee will end in February 2023,” Kipsang said.
He added that the new committee would work on the budget and allow the ministry to spend the money.
“The functions of the committee are budgeting, programming, coordinating activities, fundraising and working closely with other partners for funds released by the Ministry of Education,” he said.
The government responds to the preparation of fields, halls and exhibition rooms, Kipsan said pending bills will not be allowed at any level of co-curricular activities
A calendar of primary, secondary, special needs, music, theater festivals and science and technology fairs is ready and awaiting PS approval, officials said.
“Competency-based curricula are critical to enabling holistic education by developing the skills, values, and knowledge that learners apply to real-life situations and become productive members of society. As a factor, we are looking at talent development,” said PS. , added that that is why co-curriculum organizers were instructed to follow the guidelines set when managing activities.
Countries also buy trophies, security, health issues, and facilitation of judges, referees, arbitrators, and other officials at all levels.