The chairperson of Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Mr.Willy Kuria wants funds given to schools as capitation to be reviewed upwards.
Kuria who spoke to KNA in Murang’a County argued the value of the money they receive for each student annually has gone down as compared to increasing prices of school items.
The chairperson stated that the capitation of Sh. 22, 000 per student per annum was set back in 2017 observing prices of commodities has escalated and many schools have been left grappling with debts.
Kuria who is also the principal of Murang’a High School said apart from paying for daily operations in the schools, the capitation also caters for development expenses including construction and renovation of school infrastructure, payment of salaries for non-teaching staff, and extracurricular activities among others.
“The money we usually get hardly caters for expenses and running of the schools. The review was done seven years ago and it’s the right time for all stakeholders to convene and review the capitation amount,” he said at his school.
The ministry of education, Kuria noted, should spearhead the process of reviewing the capitation as soon as possible saying many secondary schools are experiencing financial crunch which is crippling the learning.
“We need to sit down and evaluate the amount of money each student spends in school per year to see if what the government is giving is enough and what can be done to bridge the gap,” said Kuria.
He continued, “The money paid by the student cannot be enough to manage the schools and pay the debts.”
Kuria warned that if the matter will not be urgently addressed, learning in many schools may be paralyzed.
With the delayed release of capitation by the government, the principal said schools have accrued huge debts.
He pointed out that last year, there was a deficit of Sh.7, 000 per student in the money disbursed by the government and this saw the institutions close the year with unsettled bills.
“The debts keep on piling because we are not getting enough money and we are just doing the bare minimum such as buying food just to keep the children in school and keep the institutions afloat,” remarked Kuria.
Further he said there being no form one intake this year might make things worse as during the admissions, they are able to raise money to offset some of the debts.
He added that the institutions which solely rely on capitation are now on standstill because they are not able to buy the learning materials.
This being the third week after the opening of the first term, he urges the government to haste in releasing the money for capitation adding that even the suppliers have been adamant in making any deliveries due to the unsettled debts.
“We are now being forced to send the students home so that their parents can pay something so that we can keep the schools afloat.
“We are hoping that the money will be released soon and it should also be the 50 percent to help us run through the first term smoothly,” he added.
By Bernard Munyao