Secondary school principals have urged the government to increase the current capitation under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) given per student a year to Ksh30,000.
Speaking on June 28 during the official opening ceremony of the 46th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Conference in Mombasa, the Association National Chairman Kahi Indimuli stated that they have been having challenges in managing schools considering the recent increase in commodity prices coupled with inadequate and late funding from the government.
“We propose that the Ministry of Education considers increasing the capitation from the current figure of Ksh22,244 to Ksh30,000,” he said.
“I’m faced with a challenge when my colleagues say that we don’t even get 100 per cent of the Ksh22,244, how do we ask for more and even the little one doesn’t come? How will it happen?” posed Indimuli.
He maintained that it is impossible to run a school without adequate funding adding that the only way they can bridge the funding deficit is through getting back to parents to ensure they pay fees for their children in boarding and school feeding programme for those in day schools.
“I know as a government you have various ways of funding budget deficit and you find ways of borrowing here and there to bridge that gap. As schools we don’t have the leeway to borrow to fund our budget deficit,” said Indimuli.
“I am aware as a minister, you have a mandate to ensure that children are in school, but when capitation is released and then parents are told that their children shouldn’t be sent home, it hurts us; because how will I provide water and other basic needs?” he posed.
The KESSHA boss said that despite supporting the government’s 100 per cent transition policy from primary to secondary schools to increase retention and completion rate, the issue of funding secondary schools must be looked into.
He said that the notion that secondary education is free and that Principals are not supposed to charge anything was misleading, considering that some institutions especially sub-county schools depend entirely on government funding.
“These are schools that are purely day and are being expected not to charge anything, but they are receiving children who come in the morning and leave in the evening; how do they get fed in school? How do they employ teachers on board of management terms? When capitation delays, these schools suffer,” he said.
According to Indimuli, in the Financial Year 2021/2022 the maximum amount Principals received was Ksh17,792.20 hence there is a deficit of Ksh4,451 deficit per student a year.
He added that they have received same figure in the current financial year ending June 30, which is about Ksh17,000 and Ksh5,000 deficit per student.
Indimuli stated that the government still owes schools about Ksh8,000 funding deficit per student in the two financial years, stating that they will send students home if the deficit is not cleared.
By Roy Hezron
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