Multi-billion-shilling textbook supply invaded by smart cartels , Amina in trouble

Image result for kenya secondary school heads association aminaIt is now emerging that the education sector has been infiltrated with cartels in the supply of school textbooks that are using business models that are surprisingly similar to those of big-box stores and franchises.

Parliament has summoned Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed to shed light on revelations that merchants are oversupplying textbooks to secondary schools.

The Education ministry, which is managing the project, has saturated schools with excess books in a scheme that appears aimed at profiteering suppliers.

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Investigations by the Nation reveal that some schools have been supplied with nearly double the number of textbooks they need, in virtually all subjects.

The textbook supply policy replaced an equally corruption-prone system where schools bought books from booksellers and publishers based on recommendations of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), contained in what was known as the Orange Book.Image result for textbook supply project kenya aminaThe National Assembly’s Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly held a meeting and resolved to summon Ms Mohamed, who will also be expected to explain congestion in schools and delayed release of capitation.

The MP regretted that schools are congested yet the government is doing little to address the situation that he said may soon get out of hand.

“We are asking the ministry to immediately release infrastructure funds to schools so that they can put in place the necessary facilities. We also want the ministry to release Sh22,244 as capitation and not Sh10,000 as is happening now,” he added.

He said that officials benefiting from the dumping of books in schools must also be held accountable.

The government plan to supply books to schools started last year and replaced an equally corruption-prone system where schools bought books from booksellers.Related image

However, the new system seems not to be working as some officials and the Education ministry have colluded to supply more books to schools than needed in order to cash in on billions of shillings from the sector.

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha), Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), National Parents Association (NPA) and Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) have protested against this latest scandal.

 

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