The Times U Sacco Foundation Vice Chairman, Kinoti GK, has called on the government to bridge the funding gap between well-established national schools and day schools, which continue to struggle with inadequate resources.
Kinoti said national schools receive a significantly higher share of capitation funds compared to sub-county and day schools, a disparity that disadvantages learners from less privileged backgrounds.
Speaking at the Times U Sacco headquarters in Nkubu town, Meru County during the issuance of scholarship cheques to beneficiaries by the Foundation, Kinoti noted that the number of needy students within the community continues to rise, a trend he described as worrying.
The Times U Sacco Foundation awarded scholarships to bright but needy students joining Grade 10 as part of its continued commitment to supporting vulnerable learners.
He urged the government to upgrade infrastructure and learning facilities in village and day schools to ensure equal opportunities for all learners, regardless of where they study.
“The wide gap between well-established national schools and sub-county and day schools frustrates both parents and students. It is not mandatory for parents to take their children to schools that burden them with high fees. Parents should choose schools where neither the parent nor the learner is stressed,” Kinoti said.
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He said the Foundation was overwhelmed by applications despite announcing the scholarship opportunity only a few days earlier, underscoring the growing demand for education support.
Kinoti said the Foundation, established in 2014, has consistently sponsored one boy and one girl annually to promote gender equity in education.
“We are here today to issue cheques to a student from Pangani Girls High School and another from Kagumo Boys High School. I appeal to kind-hearted well-wishers to come on board and help educate the growing number of vulnerable students in our society. There is no poor child, only parents who are financially disadvantaged. These children are our future doctors, teachers, and engineers, and they should not be looked down upon,” he said.
Parents and learners who benefited from the programme expressed gratitude to the Foundation, saying the scholarships had eased a major financial burden.
“I do not have the money to educate my son because the school fees are very high. I sincerely thank the Foundation for awarding him a scholarship,” said one parent.
Another parent described the initiative as life-changing, saying it had restored hope to families struggling to keep their children in school.
Kinoti noted that several students previously sponsored by the Foundation have since completed their studies and are now gainfully employed, describing the programme as a worthwhile investment in the country’s future.
He appealed to other such institutions and companies to follow suit.
By John Majau
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