Schools Begin Third Term With Capitation Delays, Unpaid Fees, and Debts
Schools resume for the third term amid severe economic difficulties.
The situation is so dire that suppliers are unwilling to supply schools with foodstuffs, while others have blacklisted schools with enormous debts.
School heads have presented a grim picture of the difficulties they will face as thousands of students report and have asked parents to pay fees as required to ease the burden.
Eunice Mwaiseghe, the Principal of St. Thomas Girls Secondary School, told the Nation that the school is heavily relying on the generosity of parents who donate maize for meals.
However, she candidly admitted that the previous term’s survival was a result of divine intervention. The school is currently struggling with a significant wage bill due to a shortage of teachers, a problem that is affecting the educational institution’s functioning.
Mwaiseghe disclosed that the school is owed a substantial sum of Sh28 million in unpaid school fees, reflecting the severity of the financial challenges.
Before schools closed, head teachers were purchasing food at half the current market price. For example, a 50-kg container of sugar, which used to cost about Sh6,000, now sells for Sh11,000, while beans have shot up to Sh20,000 from Sh7,000 per bag.
The delay in the release of capitation funds has exacerbated the difficulties. This situation has left head teachers grappling with mental distress as they navigate the challenges arising from unpaid tuition fees, increased food costs, and delayed government funding.
A principal in Nyandarua stated that she had resorted to purchasing sustenance based on the number of students.
School principals from various regions have echoed the same sentiment, emphasizing the critical need for the prompt release of capitation grants.
Principals are raising questions about the allocation of funds for the Third Term, given that previous terms received partial funding percentages of 19% and 18% for the First and Second terms, respectively.
The consequences of delayed capitation funds and unpaid school fees are far-reaching and jeopardize the efficient functioning of schools. School service delivery is at risk, as the financial strain affects various aspects of operation, from teacher salaries to the procurement of essential resources.
Reports from school administrators reveal that school employees and vendors have gone unpaid due to the financial crunch. The situation worsens as a result of the sharp rise in food prices, which results in budget constraints that make it difficult to provide high-quality education.
Willy Kuria, the Principal of Murang’a Boys High School and acting vice-chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, emphasized the urgency of addressing the financial crisis in schools.
Kuria suggested that the government consider allowing schools to charge slightly higher tuition fees, given the prevailing economic circumstances.
He emphasized that other schools across the nation are dealing with similar problems and that his school owes about Sh15 million in unpaid fees.
Kuria’s call for flexibility in tuition fees is grounded in the need to counterbalance the increased costs schools are facing due to rising food prices.
Schools Begin Third Term With Capitation Delays, Unpaid Fees, and Debts