Sexual abuse among school-going children
Sexual abuse among school-going children especially in rural areas leads to prevents them from accessing education.
A report by Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) revealed that some rural areas still reported cases of early and forced marriages resulting in teenage pregnancies.
“There have also been concerns on the cost of education despite primary and secondary education being free and compulsory,” the report released on December 7 says.
The report on the status of children states that despite legal and policy frameworks put in place to enhance child schooling, they still face a number of challenges.
KIPPRA cited the Education Parliamentary Committee report, 2020, which showed that the status of daycare facilities in the country were not child-friendly and habitable for pupils.
And to bridge this gap, the committee recommended additional funds from both National and County Governments.
Since devolution, the allocation to the education sector has been increasing but is still not sufficient according to the recommended allocation of Sh2,292 per learner annually.
The overall budget for basic education increased from Sh269.1 billion in 2016/17 to Sh315 billion in 2017/18.
Concerns were also raised on indirect costs of education regarding access by the poor sections of the society despite free primary and secondary education.
The report says the education sector receives the highest budget allocation and it has recommended the need to improve governance, accountability, and efficiency in the sector.
“Strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness in resource use to achieve better outcomes in the sector is imperative. One of the areas of interest is improved school management, monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment of education sector interventions.”
