MPs assure public their views will shape Education Bill, 2026

The National Assembly Education Committee has assured Kenyans that their submissions will be scrutinised and taken into account as the house considers six proposed education laws.

Members of the committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, said public participation forums being held across the country provide an opportunity for education stakeholders, including teachers, students, parents and members of the public to give their views on the proposed reforms.

Speaking at Kibabii University in Bungoma during a public participation forum, Melly said the team will tour different parts of the country to collect views, scrutinise and consider them before the proposed Bills are considered by Parliament.

The lawmaker said the views collected from the public would help the committee identify areas requiring changes and ensure that the proposed laws address challenges facing the education sector.

“The ongoing public participation provides education stakeholders and members of the public with an opportunity to share their thoughts on what needs to be changed to streamline education in the republic,” Melly said.

He disclosed that his committee had received concerns from different groups, including teachers and university students, on various aspects of the proposed legislation.

Melly cited concerns raised by secondary school teachers over remuneration and concerns among students regarding proposed changes to the repayment of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans.

The legislator said some university students had proposed that loan repayments should be capped at four per cent, arguing that high deductions could place financial pressure on graduates once they secure employment.

“University students have proposed that loan repayment should not go beyond four per cent,” he said. He assured the stakeholders that the committee will scrutinise the submissions received during the public participation exercise before preparing its recommendations on the Bills.

The proposed legislation before the National Assembly includes the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill 2026, the Basic Education Bill 2026 and the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill 2026.

Others are the Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill, the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill.

The Bills seek to introduce changes in different areas of the education sector, including tertiary education, learner assessment, teacher training, education funding and curriculum development.

During the Bungoma forum, education sector representatives also presented proposals touching on the welfare of teachers and non-teaching staff. Bungoma East Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) executive secretary, Robert Mandila, has called for a review of the approach to corporal punishment in schools. He proposed that corporal punishment should not simply be abolished but that measures should be taken to regulate how discipline is administered in learning institutions.

The official said discipline remained an important component of the education system and called for mechanisms that would enable schools to maintain discipline while protecting learners from abuse.

Kenya National Union of Secondary School Non-Teaching Staff, Nahashon Ndiema, called for the recognition of non-teaching staff as an integral part of the education sector.

Ndiema argued that non-teaching personnel play an important role in supporting the running of schools and should therefore be adequately recognised and remunerated. “There are non-teaching staff who earn less than Sh5, 000. According to labour laws, no one should get a salary below Sh10, 000,” he said.

He urged Parliament to consider the welfare of non-teaching employees when reviewing the proposed education laws, saying their contribution to learning institutions should not be overlooked.

The stakeholders further called for greater consideration of the challenges facing education workers and students when Parliament reviews the Bills.