Fix school funds crisis
The early closure of public schools for the April holiday has just confirmed that the education sector funding crisis is far from over. The learners, particularly in boarding schools, have just been sent home with less than a month before the end of the first term, as these broke institutions had no option.
According to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, the government owes the institutions a staggering Sh17 billion.
They received just about 50 per cent of the expected funds for the first term, leaving them with heavy debts. The Sh44.2 billion disbursed by the Ministry of Education for the first term was less than half of the expected capitation.
Underfunding, rising enrolment, and unpaid bills have made it difficult for schools to sustain their operations. And delayed capitation leaves school heads struggling to run the institutions amid mounting debts.
Head teachers are perhaps expected to perform miracles as they are not allowed to send the students home to get their parents to pay fees. That would violate a Ministry of Education directive. But how do they retain the learners in school without the money for their upkeep?
Although the official school calendar has the end of Term One as April 2, some have already sent students home due to dwindling supplies. The shortfall has been worsened by the decision to base disbursements on last year’s Form Two, Three, and Four, excluding the high intake of Grade 10 learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Schools that admitted large numbers of Grade 10 students are facing an acute financial strain. Indeed, the principals say the early release of the capitation did little to ease the pressure from long-standing debts.
This persistent funding problem requires a long-lasting solution. The education authorities and the National Treasury must prioritise the full and timely release of school funds.
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