NAIROBI, Kenya — The government is proposing sweeping changes to the management of public schools, including the removal of teaching staff and students’ council representatives from Boards of Management (BOMs).
The changes are contained in the proposed Basic Education Bill, currently under consideration by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education.
Under the proposed framework, representatives of the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), alumni associations and the Principal Secretary responsible for Basic Education would join school boards in place of representatives of teachers and students.
Director General for the State Department for Basic Education Dr Elyas Abdi told the committee on August 6 that the restructuring is intended to align school governance with the Mwongozo Code of Governance, which promotes stronger oversight and independent decision-making structures.
“The Bill proposes the removal of representatives of the teaching staff and students’ council from the Boards while introducing representatives from the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), alumni associations and the Principal Secretary responsible for Basic Education,” the committee reported.
The proposed changes are part of wider reforms arising from recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), which is reviewing the country’s education governance and financing structures.
Proposed changes to school boards
The government argues that introducing external representatives will strengthen accountability and improve the effectiveness of decision-making within public schools.
The Mwongozo Code of Governance, issued jointly in January 2015 by the Public Service Commission and the State Corporations Advisory Committee, was developed to promote effective governance, accountability and independent oversight in public institutions.
Ministry officials told lawmakers that applying similar principles to school boards would reduce potential conflicts arising from the inclusion of internal stakeholders and create boards with a stronger governance focus.
The proposal would represent a significant change from the structure established under the Basic Education Act, 2013.
The existing framework provides for a broad representation of stakeholders, including parents and community representatives, teaching staff elected by teachers, sponsors where applicable, special-interest groups and the head of the institution, who serves as secretary to the board.
MPs question consultation and alumni representation
The proposed removal of teachers and students’ representatives has raised questions among lawmakers over whether the affected groups were adequately consulted before the reforms were drafted.
During the committee session chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, MPs also questioned the practicality of introducing alumni representatives, particularly in schools where alumni associations are inactive or poorly organised.
Lawmakers sought clarification on how such representatives would be identified and whether their inclusion would create additional administrative challenges for schools.
Responding to the concerns, Dr Abdi said consultations had been conducted during the development of the proposed reforms and maintained that the changes were intended to strengthen school governance.
Supporters of the proposal argue that the inclusion of NGAO officers could improve coordination between schools and national government structures, particularly on security, administration and implementation of government policies.
The ministry also believes alumni can provide valuable support to schools by contributing expertise, resources and institutional knowledge to long-term development programmes.
Wider education reforms
The changes to Boards of Management are among several reforms currently before Parliament following the PWPER recommendations.
Another major proposal is contained in the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, which seeks to consolidate higher education financing by merging the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund and the TVET Funding Board into a proposed Tertiary Education Funding Authority.
The proposed reforms come as the government seeks to overhaul education governance and financing across the basic and tertiary education sectors.
If approved by Parliament, the changes to school Boards of Management would mark one of the most significant shifts in public school governance since the enactment of the Basic Education Act in 2013.
