We are tired of rhetoric on free education, say school principals

Mombasa, Kenya: The Government has admitted to many challenges facing secondary education and asked principals to be innovative in their centres in order to cut costs. This comes as principals converging in Mombasa criticised the Government over delayed increment of funds and release of the free learning cash.

On top of the list of hurdles is the arbitrary increase of fees and levies, high rate of wear and tear of textbooks and theft of instructional materials.

Director of tertiary and secondary education Robert Masese said establishment of new schools has also stretched the teachers' capacity, noting that it must be controlled.

"Higher demands for teachers, which has been brought about by establishment of new schools built through the Constituency Development Fund and community initiatives, has necessitated employment of teachers by Boards of Management," he said.

He noted that this has resulted in a major burden on parents.

President Uhuru Kenyatta who is expected to address the teachers today announced early this month that primary and secondary education will be 'totally free' in three years.

Masese said part of this plan is to increase capitation by 33 per cent this financial year. "This increment will be done successively for the next two years, until a 100 per cent increment is realised," he said.

Education Permanent Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang said this increment will see primary school children get a Sh500 increment in addition to the Sh1,050 they currently receive. Day secondary school students will now get some Sh3,000 increment in the capitation on top of the Sh10,265 they currently receive.

But secondary school principals who spoke to The Standard yesterday said they are tired of 'government rhetoric' and added that they needed more action thantalk. "We have been singing about this capitation increment for years. But all they do is much talk but no action," said a principal from Kilifi.

He said only Sh1,350 was sent per child instead of the expected Sh3,200.

But Kenya Secondary School Heads Association national chairman John Awiti said that by the end of this week, teachers will have decided on how to end the disbursement fiasco once and for all.

Kipsang however said that over Sh1,600 has been sent to each child, translating to 16 per cent for the term's disbursement.