Funding Crisis As Schools Reopen On Tuesday
Schools face a funding crisis as the second term begins on Tuesday, with the release of government free primary and free day secondary school funds still pending.
The National Treasury had not released the funds as of yesterday, owing to school leaders’ concerns that running the institutions would be a nightmare, particularly for boarding secondary schools.
And, as school administrators face a crisis, teachers who marked the 2021 exams are complaining that the government has yet to pay them.
The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) exams were marked by teachers in April, and the results were announced. However, the funds have yet to be released.
According to heads and teachers who spoke to the Sunday Nation, the cost of running schools is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to rising food prices.
Principals claim the situation in schools is getting worse as institutions are highly indebted, calling for the government to find a way of ensuring that schools are able to access food items at lower prices.
Commodities used in boarding schools, such as maize, rice, sugar, milk, beans, sorghum, millet, and cooking oil, have tripled in price, prompting some principals to borrow from lenders in the hope of repaying them later.
To save money, most schools purchase large quantities of the items before reopening.
Due to the funding crisis, schools have been forced to order the items on loan from various suppliers, with the hope of repaying once the government releases funds.
In order to manage schools, some principals have engaged parents, particularly those in boarding schools, to pay fees on time in order for them to purchase items for students.
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Indimuli Kahi, chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha), has since asked the Ministry of Education to consider partnering with the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) to supply grains to schools at a lower cost.
Parents are also feeling the effects of school reopening, as this will be the third time this year that they will be required to pay fees for their children.
Funding Crisis As Schools Reopen On Tuesday
