Parents left in the lurch as learners sent home for fees
Secondary school students look for transport back home in the streets of Eldoret town on May 4, 2024.
What you need to know:
- In most secondary schools, remedial classes are mandatory.
- Mr Obuhatsa urged the government to support schools.
A move by high school principals to send students home due to non-payment of fees for tuition and remedial classes has left parents in the lurch.
The demand for remedial fees comes despite a government ban on remedial classes, with principals insisting that it is meant to boost education standards. They also say that there's no money to run the institutions due to delayed disbursement of capitation funds.
In most secondary schools, remedial classes are mandatory.
National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa blamed the State for the crisis, saying, it had forced schools into bankruptcy.
Capitation funds
“How are principals to run those institutions?” he posed.
Mr Obuhatsa said he had met with Kenya Secondary School Heads Association National Chairman Willy Kuria, who confirmed that capitation funds have not been released.
“According to Mr Kuria, the State only released 40 per cent of capitation funds last term ... by then schools were grappling with huge debts. As per his statement, every child was given Sh8,200 instead of Sh11,122,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
He added that, to date, the capitation balance for the first term has not been released.
“Principals cannot run schools without money and the government knows this. Principals are in a dilemma. There is a circular that was released by the State barring them from sending students home due to fees or any other funds but then again how do you run a school without funds?” Mr Obuhatsa said.
Pay school fees
Parents, he added, should also pay school fees as the institutions have huge pending bill arising from non-payment of school fees.
“Lack of capitation is forcing principals to illegally send students home to fetch fees,” he added.
Mr Obuhatsa urged the government to support schools.
“Capitation funds should be released immediately to enable principals to manage school affairs. Otherwise, the State should address how principals can sustain children in schools without money, especially boarding schools,” he added.
Meanwhile, opposition politicians have called on President William Ruto’s administration to release capitation monies to schools.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wanday urged Dr Ruto to put in place effective mechanisms of funding education.
“You have failed as a government. As we speak, schools have not received all the capitation money; it is a miracle that the institutions are operating. We continue to insist that the State should put in place proper mechanisms and put aside adequate funds to support the education sector,” he said.
Separately, Jomvu MP Badi Twalib has warned principals against sending learners home for not paying tuition or remedial classes fees.
“Please don’t send students home because of issues to do with school fees,” said Mr Twalib.
On Tuesday, June 11, the Nation met scores of students who were sent home for fees. At Kajembe Secondary School, learners were dismissed to fetch Sh1,000 for remedial classes. The students said they pay Sh1,000 per term for remedial classes.
