In a strategic move towards enhancing Kenyan education, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has initiated a partnership focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
This collaborative effort is designed to develop a cadre of inventive Kenyan leaders capable of navigating the dynamic market demands and propelling the country’s economic progress.
USAID Counselor Clinton White, alongside Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Mudavadi, officiated the signing of the agreement.
President William Ruto’s recent four-day sojourn in the U.S. was replete with a comprehensive agenda, covering key themes such as economic growth, bilateral trade and investments, defense, as well as discussions on governance, regional affairs, and health collaboration.
This partnership arrives at a pivotal moment as numerous secondary schools in Kenya grapple with potential staffing reductions due to a new government directive expected to lead to decreased financing for public education.
Critics within the Kenyan education sector, including educational stakeholders, have voiced their dissent against the budgetary decreases proposed by President William Ruto’s government, which would impede the smooth operation of public schooling.
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Beyond the possible job cuts, the budget slash is likely to result in payment delays for teachers hired by school boards and for ancillary staff, particularly within secondary educational institutions.
Last month saw Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang stand before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, affirming the state’s stance to curtail school funding and acknowledging the tardiness in fund disbursal.
In conclusion, Kipsang referred to static international financial support and impending modifications in the national educational syllabus, anticipated to diminish secondary school attendee figures, as principal reasons for the policy shift.
