Principals Protest As Gov’t Release Insufficient Capitation

Principals Protest As Gov’t Release Insufficient Capitation

Principals Protest As Gov’t Release Insufficient Capitation

Secondary schools will start receiving capitation money for Free Day Secondary  Education (FDSE) straight into their accounts on September 21, 2023. The payment of monies to schools was confirmed by Amos Cherono, the national  treasurer of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA).

But he voiced doubts about the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) allotted Ksh2,500 per student being sufficient. From this sum, Ksh 500 will go toward tuition, and Ksh 2,000 will go toward operating costs for the duration of the term. Cherono stressed that this financing is woefully inadequate, particularly in light of the unpaid liabilities that schools must resolve.

Cherono mentioned that schools had expected to receive Ksh7,000 from the government to maintain smooth operations but were shocked by the significantly lower amount they received in an interview with Education News.

He added that this lack of funding may make it difficult to deal with unpaid suppliers, some of whom might file lawsuits against the schools for what they believed to be unfair treatment. Cherono proposed that schools may need to ask parents for payments to help with many parts of school administration, including buying exercise books for their kids.

According to reports, schools nationwide owe suppliers more than Ksh29 billion in outstanding invoices, with some school principals reportedly trying to avoid conflicts with irate service providers.According to Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS), the Ministry of Basic Education has received Ksh16 billion from the National Treasury for distribution to public primary, junior, and senior schools. This information was made public on September 15. By September 20, these funds would be credited to the appropriate school accounts.

Junior secondary schools will get Ksh1.7 billion of this amount, primary schools Ksh1.5 billion as part of the Free Primary Education (FPE), and secondary schools Ksh12.9 billion as part of the FDSE capitation.