Release school capitation now to avert needless disruptions

**Kakamega Primary School pupils**. [Benjamin Sakwa]

Schools are set to reopen from today for the third and final term this year. This is an important term in the schools’ calendar. It is the term in which learners sit their end-year exams before transiting to the next class.

Importantly, it is the term when Class Eight and Form Four students sit for their national exams; important barometers of what their future would look like.

Schools should have minimal, if any disruptions, during this term so that students can concetrate and prepare adequately for the exams. However, this is usually not the case.

A dip into our schools’ history shows that this is the term when students are most inconvenienced. For instance, it is the period teachers usually prefer to battle for better terms through picketing and work boycotts. This leaves the candidates frustrated and ill-prepared for the exams.

But while teachers unions have not threatened to call a strike this term, head teachers have warned that the risk of a major disruption in schools is real.

According to the public primary and secondary school heads, the Government is not only yet to release the free education capitation for third term, but also arrears for the second term. The arrears amount to Sh12 billion. Usually, the Government disburses 50 per cent of the total capitation in first term, 30 per cent in second term and 20 per cent in third term.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time head teachers are complaining of delayed disbursement of the funds.

Last term, 200 secondary school heads threatened to close their institutions early for lack of money after the Government failed to release the funds. Matters were so bad that some of the teachers even contemplated taking bank loans hedged on the fees collection from students.

Education ranks amongst the Goverment’s biggest priorities and, ideally, money for the sector should be made available at the right time. Sadly, this is rarely the case.

At the moment, the Education ministry blames the National Treasury over the delay, saying payment schedules have already been prepared and sent to them.

Encouragingly, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani says he has instructed his officials to look into the matter.

We can only pray that this will be done swiftly to avoid unncessary disruptions during this crucial period. Of importance, the Government should get its act together to ensure timely disbursement of the money in future to bring such disruptions to an end once and for all.