Education stakeholders from Nandi County are now calling for the consolidation of all bursary schemes into one centralized national education support programme to guarantee genuinely free basic education for all children and reduce school dropout cases linked to poverty.
The renewed push follows reports that more than 100,000 Grade Nine graduates across the country failed to transition to senior secondary school this year due to financial constraints, despite government assurances of a seamless transition under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
In Tinderet Sub-County, Nandi County, teachers, parents, religious leaders and local administrators say, the situation reflects the national crisis, with many learners reportedly failing to report to school because families could not afford admission fees, uniforms, transport and other school requirements.
Residents say that although the government introduced free primary and subsidized secondary education, hidden costs continue to lock vulnerable children out of classrooms.
At Chepsangor village, parent Peter Kiptoo said the burden on struggling households has become unbearable amid the rising cost of living and declining farm earnings.
“Many parents here depend on small-scale farming of maize, tea and dairy farming, but the income is no longer enough to sustain education expenses,” Kiptoo said.
“Some families are forced to choose between buying food and taking their children to school.”
Area Member of Parliament (MP) Julius Melly acknowledged that education financing remains one of the biggest challenges facing families in the constituency despite the existence of multiple bursary programmes.
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“Our NG-CDF office receives thousands of bursary applications every year from desperate parents who cannot even raise the minimum school requirements,” Melly said.
“Although we allocate millions of shillings annually toward bursaries, the demand is far beyond the available resources.”
Education economist Jack Maiyo argued that the existence of separate bursary programmes managed by Members of Parliament, county governments, Women Representatives and other organisations has created duplication, inefficiency and confusion.
“We need one transparent national education support framework that can ensure all needy learners benefit fairly and promptly,” Maiyo said.
He noted that the current fragmented structure allows some students to receive assistance from multiple offices while others miss out completely.
An official from the Elimu Bora Initiative, Joseph Rono, said county governments had invested heavily in bursary programmes but admitted that lack of coordination had weakened effectiveness.
“Some learners receive support from several offices while others receive nothing because there is no proper coordinated system for identifying beneficiaries,” Rono said.
He supported the establishment of a unified digital education support database capable of tracking learners from primary school to university level and identifying those at risk of dropping out.
Teachers in the area say poverty has become one of the leading causes of absenteeism and school dropout.
Education advocate Wilson Tanui said schools continue witnessing bright learners staying at home for weeks because parents cannot afford uniforms, transport or lunch.
“The transition to senior school under CBE has brought additional pressure on parents, especially where learners are posted far away from home,” Tanui said.
He added that delayed government capitation had also strained school operations, forcing institutions to depend partly on parents to remain operational.
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Women leaders have also raised concern over the increasing number of girls dropping out of school because of financial hardships.
Nandi Woman Representative Cynthia Muge warned that some girls were now vulnerable to early marriages and child labour after failing to continue with education.
“My office has been supporting needy learners through bursaries, mentorship programmes and sanitary towel distribution, but the problem is still overwhelming,” Muge said.
Religious leaders have equally urged the government to prioritize education funding and simplify access to support for vulnerable families.
Evangelist Michael Kibet from Songhor-Soba Ward said churches frequently encounter desperate parents seeking school fees assistance after exhausting all other options.
“The current bursary structure forces poor parents to move from office to office carrying documents in search of help, yet many still return home disappointed,” Kibet said.
“A centralized system would restore dignity to struggling families while ensuring fairness and accountability.”
Stakeholders in the sub-county are also advocating for the expansion of school feeding programmes to improve retention among learners from remote and economically disadvantaged villages.
Public Benefit Organization activist Esther Chebet said hunger continued to affect concentration, attendance and academic performance among learners from poor households.
“Some children walk long distances to school without breakfast or lunch, making it difficult for them to concentrate in class,” Chebet said.
Community elder Samuel Ruto warned that prolonged absenteeism often results in permanent school dropout.
“Some families are withdrawing children from school temporarily to assist with farm work or casual labour because of financial hardship,” he said.
“But once a child stays away from school for too long, returning becomes very difficult.”
Education experts now believe that consolidating all bursary programmes into one professionally managed national fund could significantly reduce the number of children dropping out of school because of poverty.
Residents are urging the national government, Parliament and county governments to work together in establishing a transparent and fully digitized learner support system capable of identifying and supporting every vulnerable child before they are forced out of school.
Many stakeholders believe such reforms would not only improve school retention rates but also secure the future of thousands of children whose dreams remain threatened by poverty.
By Kimutai Langat
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