Back to school: Financial strain casts shadow as new term starts

Parents shop for books at Savanis Book Center along Latema Road, Nairobi, on January 6, 2025. [File, Standard] Delayed capitation, huge debts and fee arrears, congestion, and poor infrastructure are challenges facing schools as Second Term starts this week. The financial constraints have been exacerbated by a directive from Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang'o to bar counties from awarding bursaries to the bright but needy students. The CoB said only early childhood development education falls under counties, leaving millions of secondary school students who relied on county bursaries in a state of panic. Meanwhile, some school head say they have switched off their phones to avoid suppliers demanding payment for goods and services provided in the first term and even last year. Most secondary schools have issued a directive that students with fee balances will not be allowed back as parents, who depended on bursaries from counties, struggle to raise the money. The reopening comes as Kenyans face shrinking disposable incomes. New statutory deductions, such as Social Health Insurance Fund and Housing Levy, have slashed paychecks by up to 40 per cent, even as inflation officially remains low. Principals say the burden continues spreading to learning institutions, leaving unpaid fees running into millions. At Malava High School, for example, parents owe the school Sh18 million, according to the school principal Elphas Luvaso. Honour obligations "We ask parents to honour their obligation of paying school fees.Those students who will have not paid fees will be sent home," said Luvaso. Benson Manoo, Machakos School principal, says he is often forced to make tough decisions to keep the school afloat. "The money we receive from the government barely covers operational costs. When parents don't pay, we have no choice but to accumulate debts with suppliers. We are running schools on goodwill and prayers," explains Manoo. "We ask parents to cooperate when it comes to discipline and paying fees so that we keep the students in school." According to the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Willie Kuria, behind the school's gate lies a weighty burden that school heads are forced to carry. "We are caught between a rock and a hard surface. On one hand, we are expected to follow government policies that prohibit sending students home for fee arrears. On the other hand, we need funds to pay teachers, provide meals, and keep the lights on. How do we balance that?" questioned Kuria. Impossible situation Kuria said principals now find themselves in an impossible situation: keeping schools running while ensuring that no child is sent home due to unpaid fees. "Around 98 per cent of parents are experiencing financial strain with regard to back-to-school expenses. Coupled with this is the fact that over half of these households are single headed homes, with 72 per cent having two or more children," said Kuria. In Mombasa, records indicate that Shimo La Tewa Boys was grappling with a total fee balance of over Sh3 million. The school has warned that no child with fee arrears will be allowed in class. "It is a shame the government has abandoned the school. Efforts of parents, the chief principal, and the board of management are not enough; the government must step in," said a parent. On Saturday, parents who were lucky got Sh8,000 from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in Mombasa, way lower than the Sh18,000 fee for term two. "I received Sh4,000 from Kisauni NG-CDF, while my son's second term fee is Sh18,000," said Aisha Ndegwa from Mlaleo in Kisauni Constituency. In Kilifi, Kadii Mwaro, a mother of two, expressed frustration, saying her children would be sent home due to unpaid school fees. "County bursaries were the lifeline for us. Some directives like that of the CoB will ruin the future of students from poor families," said Mwaro, whose two sons attend school at Jaribuni Secondary. Victor Safari said his daughter at Chanagande will have to drop out of school after he unsuccessfully applied for the county and constituency bursaries. "I visited Kilifi South Constituency offices last week to seek help but I was turned away. If she is chased away from school, I have no option but to stay with her until I get help," he said. A recent report by Usawa Agenda says at least 40 per cent of learners drop out due to unpaid fees. "While the government's free primary and secondary education programme aims to ease financial strain, the situation is especially dire in arid and semi-arid areas where poverty levels are high," said Usawa Agenda's Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Manyasa. Empty coffers In Taita Taveta, principals and teachers' union officials interviewed yesterday said schools are operating in empty coffers and cannot sustain students when they return. "We are operating on empty coffers. Some of us have decided to switch off our mobile phones because suppliers are on our necks. We do not have the funds to clear or reduce the debts. We have also instructed guards not to allow suppliers in schools because we have no funds to pay them," said a principal in Mwatate Sub County. Taita Taveta Branch Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Executive Secretary Lenox Mshilla warned persistent shortage of funds will badly affect learning and management of public schools. He also decried an acute shortage of teachers at junior secondary schools (JSSs), especially those in those far-flung areas. In South Rift, parents were, yesterday, out shopping early to get their children's school supplies, hoping to avoid the crowds that typically gather on the first day back. Knut's Executive Secretary Desmond Langat urged the Ministry of Education to ensure timely disbursement of capitation funds. "We demand the immediate release of capitation to avert a crisis in learning institutions," Langat said, calling for a review of the capitation to reflect rising inflation rates. The government had committed to allocating Sh22,244 per learner annually, split into instalments of 50 per cent for the first term, 30 per cent for the second term, and 20 per cent for the third term. Nemis registration Langat urged the Ministry to extend the deadline for National Education Management Information System (Nemis) registration due to ongoing technical issues, stressing that it is vital to avoid leaving any student out of the registration process. In Kericho County, chairman of the Kenya National Parents Association Zablon Cheruiyot warned that the government's failures regarding capitation and medical cover would be passed on to parents. Cheruiyot also voiced concerns over the swift transition from CBC to CBE, describing it as confusing for both schools and parents. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) demanded a full refund for Sh22 billion deducted for medical insurance under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Minet Insurance Brokers. KUPPET's Kericho Executive Secretary Mary Rotich urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to halt deductions to SHA, insisting that teachers should receive direct medical allowances. In Nakuru County, KUPPET Organising Secretary Joseph Chebukaka pointed out that the medical scheme is not functioning properly, which could lead to unhealthy teachers becoming a burden on students and negatively impacting their productivity. Chebukaka revealed that SHA declined to enrol over 360,000 teachers due to a lack of a nationwide infrastructure. This situation followed an announcement by TSC boss Nancy Macharia saying that efforts to enrol teachers into SHA had failed because the insurer lacked sufficient structures to accommodate them. Chebukaka expressed regret that teachers continue to suffer due to a lack of medical attention, despite the Sh20 billion contract that the TSC signed with Minet to provide medical insurance for educators. "We have barely understood CBC, and now it has been changed to CBE. This transition has caused a lot of confusion and has resulted in a forced curriculum that affects students' minds," he stated. Caroline Mwasi, a parent, pointed out that the current harsh economic climate is putting additional pressure on parents who have to cover costs for school fees, transportation, shopping, and uniforms. In Samburu County, Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda disbursed Sh66 million to 11,000 pupils for the second school term from the NG-CDF. "This intervention is timely. Many parents in my constituency have lost livestock due to cattle rustlers and drought," she said. Report by Mike Kihaki, Willis Oketch, Renson Mnyamwezi, Marion Kithi, Kiprono Kurgat, Nikko Tanui, Daniel Chege and Michael Saitoti

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