School Principals Agree To Increase School Fees
School Principals Agree To Increase School Fees
Principals contend that because the government has reduced the per-student capitation fee, they will have to raise tuition for the upcoming term.
For parents whose children are returning to school on Monday, July 1, 2024, following a week-long half-term holiday, this news represents a major setback. After the government announced it could no longer afford the yearly capitation of Sh22,244 per child, cutting it to Sh17,000 instead, principals will need to find new means to keep schools open.
The principals will need to oversee the Sh17,000 capitation that we have been paying out. Ezekiel Machogu, the cabinet secretary for education, said in a speech to the nation that “it is not feasible to distribute Sh20,000 per student per year.” He promised to ensure that capitation funds were disbursed on time. The principals have suggested increasing the fees for national schools from Sh53,000 to Sh69,000.
This hike is due to inflation and higher expenses. The Kenya Secondary School Principals Association met last week in Mombasa County’s Sheikh Zayed Hall to discuss crucial issues, including the delayed distribution of capitation funds.
Willy Kuria, President of KESSHA National, informed the Nation that it was necessary for participants to evaluate the conference’s achievements, difficulties, and solutions. He claimed that the Sh53,000 in school fees is not enough to pay for national institutions’ operating costs. We had previously requested that the government raise the cost of schooling to Sh69,000. We have sent the ministry our document proposing a charge hike.
“The entire concept of capitation and school fees needs to be reviewed,” declared Kuria. Schools have only received half of the Sh22,244 per student that they are expected to receive each year this year. The state has only paid out Sh12,000, or almost 60%, of the Sh22,244 capitation per student.
To maintain the schools open for the entire year, this amount of money is insufficient. Kuria emphasized, “A new secondary school funding plan needs to be created.” Kuria brought up the topic of capitation problems in Kenyan schools and the need for the nation to reexamine its approach to funding education.
“The amount released from the Treasury is Sh17,000 instead of Sh22,244.” Kuria claims that after deducting Sh5,000 for infrastructure construction and Sh2,600 for the consolidated purchasing of books and activities, schools have roughly Sh10,400 left over.
He emphasized that schools were given a capitation of Sh10,260 when the Free Secondary Education program started in 2008. “We still receive the same amount as in 2008, despite inflation.” The ministry says no to paying for textbooks and EduAfya. Kuria said, “It’s time to get parents involved and ask them to pay school fees.” Moses Nthurima, the acting general secretary of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), outlined the difficulties secondary schools encounter as a result of delayed capitation funding.
“The Ministry of Education need to be held responsible for its failure to provide funding for events. Schools have a Sh3,000 shortfall for the first term, and as the second quarter draws to a close, no money has been sent in, Nthurima continued. This has made co-curricular activities more difficult. How can schools identify and develop potential without funding for competitions? He asked, bringing up the fact that government representatives usually outnumber instructors at national co-curricular activities.
Nthurima pleaded with CS Machogu and PS Dr. Belio Kipsang to return the funds to principals so that teachers could supervise extracurricular activities. Silas Obuhatsa, the president of the National Parents’ Association, charged that the government was allowing schools to fail. “How can directors run these institutions without funds?” he said. and asked parents to clear any outstanding amounts by paying their kids’ tuition on time.
The administration requested on Wednesday that headteachers make the most of the capitation that was provided because to financial constraints. Vice President Rigathi Gachagua underlined the challenges posed by growing public debt and payroll costs, emphasizing that the government must borrow money for development after allocating revenue to counties.
Gachagua emphasized resource management attention while assuring principals that the state is trying to accelerate procedures for prompt money transfer. In order to augment their income, he also urged principals to start profitable ventures like dairy and agricultural production.
