By Augustine Oduor
The cash crunch in public secondary schools is expected to ease after the Government released Sh7.1 billion for free education. But Education Minister Prof Sam Ongeri warned school heads to manage the cash properly. His caution follows the recent scandal of missing free primary education cash said by Treasury to amount to Sh4.2 billion. Ongeri declined to comment on the rising calls for his resignation from the helm of the ministry over the FPE scandal, but said Sh2.6 billion will go towards tuition payments and another Sh4.6 will cater for operational costs in schools and benefit 1.8 million students. He said each student will receive a total of Sh4,055 to cater for second term fees and arrears of first term. Of these, Sh1,460 will pay tuition fees per child and Sh2,595 operation funds. “Heads of schools are expected to utilise these funds prudently for the benefit of the children in line with the appropriate guidelines,” he said. The funds’ release comes after schools and education stakeholders mounted pressure on the ministries of Education and Finance to release the money and avert a looming crisis in secondary schools. Already, school heads had threatened not to administer end-term examinations, and to close schools earlier due to the delayed release of the funds, coupled by the rising cost of living. They wanted money released immediately, as the cost of food items, especially grains, had doubled. But in a detailed outline of the funds disbursement to schools yesterday, Ongeri said the money has now been sent to respective accounts, and will be accessed starting today. Listing the banks that had received the money, Ongeri cited KCB, Cooperative, Equity, Family, Standard Chartered, Barclays, Consolidated, First Community, and National Bank of Kenya. Inadequate budgetary “School principals are advised to check money in their school banks account between July 15 and 18. Should the money not be in accounts, liaise with ministry headquarters immediately,” he said. First term arrears for term two amounted to about Sh7 billion. Ongeri said a second disbursement of some Sh3.6 billion would be made in August to cater for third term fees. He said the arrears of first term arose due to inadequate budgetary allocations, as his ministry received only additional Sh500 million against the required allocation of Sh6.6 billion.The minister attributed the three-month delay in the disbursement of the money to inadequate funds allocation in the 2010/11 financial year. “This forced the ministry to use funds for the 2011/12 financial year which could only be accessed in July 2011,” he said. However, this will still see the ministry operate under a deficit of Sh9.8 billion to the completion of this financial year. Cushion schools Ongeri who addressed press at his office explained that the total amount required to cater for term one and two this year and the full capitation for term one and two next year stood at Sh26 billion against the Sh16.2 billion allocated this financial year. PS James Ole Kiyiapi and Education Secretary George Godia were also present. But the minister said no special plans have been put in place to cushion schools from the high cost of commodities. Without delay “For now let us use what is in the budget. High cost of living is not only in schools. It is felt by everybody,” he said. School heads have agitated for doubling of free secondary education funds to march the rising cost of living. The minister also seemed to indicate that the new disbursement formula of 50:30:20 would be revised to ensure the funds are effectively sent to schools without delay. “The ministry is in consultation with that of finance on the modalities of operationalising the disbursement formula,” he said. Secondary school head teachers last month tore into the new formula, saying it was one of the causes of delay in remitting funds. Speaking during the heads conference in Mombasa, they called for immediate return to the old formula that they said served them better.