Parents have been warned of a looming increase in fees when schools reopen in January due to the rising cost of living.
Headteachers are on the horns of a dilemma, mulling whether to ask parents to pay more money next year or adhere to the Ministry of Education guidelines on school fees. Those who spoke to Nation accused the ministry of retaining a bulk of the capitation funds.
Managers at both public and private schools told Nation it will be impossible to run the institutions on the current budgets as the cost of living has gone up. Principals of public schools said the latest fees guidelines were determined in 2014.
“Obviously, if schools do not charge more, then it will be impossible to offer services of the quality we offer. The increase will vary across schools,” Kenya Private Schools Association chair Charles Ochome said.
Private schools determine their fees independently of the government. Many parents especially in urban areas where there are few public schools will be affected by higher school fees.
Prices of foodstuffs have increased over the past year and principals say they either have to increase the fees or adjust their budgets by leaving out some services they offer. However, they are also afraid that such measures might result to student unrest if not handled well.
An official at the Ministry of Education acknowledged that there is need for a review of the fees guidelines for public schools but accused principals of misusing the funds they receive. Any fees increase or extra charges for public schools must be authorised by the Ministry of Education.
“This work [managing schools] is becoming practically impossible to do. We can’t pay salaries for support staff and we’re also in the examinations period, which is quite expensive. It’s quite difficult,” a principal in Machakos County lamented.
The government allocates a capitation of Sh1,420 per learner in primary school, a figure that was set 20 years ago when former President Mwai Kibaki introduced the Free Primary Education programme. Learners in secondary school have a capitation of Sh22,244 per learner and those in junior school are allocated Sh15,042.
“Although the government has made important strides in the provision of capitation to schools, the current level is inadequate to meet the rising cost of goods and services since it does not factor in inflation,” the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms observed in its report that it presented to President William Ruto.
The reported noted that bursaries and scholarships do not work as expected since they are uncoordinated, lack credible criteria for the selection of beneficiaries. The majority of them are mired in corruption, nepotism and tribalism, with undeserving, well-connected learners benefiting more than the deserving ones, the report notes.
Another principal, who sought anonymity, said that efforts to raise fees to match the prevailing economic realities have been opposed by the government. He blamed the government for protecting parents who do not pay fees by instructing schools not to send learners away.
“We presented a proposal to increase our fees by about 30 per cent but it was rejected by the county director of education. We don’t know how we’ll manage next year but now principals aren’t even following the official calendar. Some schools closed last week to save money. I’ve also closed mine today.”
Our efforts to get a comment from Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu were not successful as he did not respond to calls and text messages. Mr Peter Ireri, an assistant manager at Msingi Bora School in Embu County, said that they raised their fees in August by between Sh5,000 and Sh6,000.
National Parents Association Chairman Silas Obuhatsa said the organisation was monitoring the situation and could not give a comment.
The principal of Makini Cambridge School, Mr Nelly Aluanga-Omino, told Nation that the school will consider various factors before making a decision.
“There are various factors that inform pricing, such as like fuel prices, services offered and the cost implication, global economic perspectives and parents’ financial ability, and inflation rates. It’s important to consider whether a school is a profit-making or non-profit institution and that will determine how they charge their fees,” she said.
Mr Paul Njau, a supplier who does business with schools, told Nation that he’s owed over Sh7 million by different learning institutions and doesn’t expect to be paid this year since schools have closed.
“We now can’t supply to schools because they are not paying. Day schools are suffering the most since they rely entirely on government capitation. Suppliers have been messed and many of them are being auctioned off for goods they took on credit to supply schools,” said Mr Njau, who mainly supplies stationery and foodstuffs.
Meanwhile, a school in Nairobi’s Eastlands that has been in operation since 1993 has closed shop citing harsh economic times. It has advised parents to look for alternative schools for their children next year.
“ As everyone knows, the business environment in the country has not been that good. It’s exerting a lot of pressure on the directors and because of their age, they have opted to retire and close the school from next year,” a statement from the directors reads.
