2

The minister for education and sports Maj. Jessica Alupo has told members of parliament that among the pressing budget shortfalls in her ministry includes shs43bn.

This money is needed to cater for a proposed increase in capitation grant for both UPE and USE/UPOLET students.

Appearing before the education and sports committee chaired by George Kwemara, the minister said that under the FY2014/5, the ministry intends to increase capitation grants/fees paid for each pupil under USE, USE and UPOLET.

Currently, government pays a mere shs7000 per year per child under UPE as capitation grant while in USE, it pays only shs41000 per student per term.

The minister said that the ministry in order to improve on quality intends to increase capitation grants for each pupil upwards from shs7000 to shs10000 [UPE] while those in USE will have their figure scaled up to shs50000.

However, such a proposal has suffered a budget allocation as finance ministry has not allocated anything in respect of the proposed increase.

She says if increased to shs10000, additional budget of shs23bn is required for FY2014/5 while those under USE/UPOLET; additional funding 21bn is required for FY2014/5.

The minister added that the ministry is also in a shortfall of shs14bn needed to construct secondary schools in 96 sub-counties without a government aided secondary school.

She added that the sector is also faced with a challenge of balancing massive enrollment of kids under USE/UPE but the number of classrooms doesn’t change and yet the School Facilitation Grant which works on such matters has been reduced from shs48bn to shs27bn.

The minister said that the ministry as part of efforts to improve quality had procured and delivered to schools 2.3m text books and 84000 teachers’ guides were procured and also delivered to schools