Public schools on verge of shut down as funding crisis worsens

Students walk at Uhuru Park in Nairobi Town after the schools closed for term two on Tuesday April 19th, 2023 [File, Standard] Details have emerged about the possible closure of public secondary schools nationwide, as school heads now reveal chronic decline in government funding that threatens to halt operations. A document by the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), titled Operational Crisis in Schools and signed by Chairman Willie Kuria, reveals that the government is disbursing only Sh10,000 per student annually, less than half of the expected Sh22,244. This shortfall of Sh11,721 has steadily worsened since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted school operations. "The actual amount received per learner is far below the stipulated capitation grant. As of now, schools receive Sh10,479.37 per student," the document reads. School heads are now warning that without immediate action, learning institutions may soon shut down, putting the future of thousands of students at risk. "Unless this situation is urgently addressed, schools face imminent closure, disrupting education for thousands of students," KESSHA cautions in the document The document further reveals shows that schools received Sh17,243 per student in 2020/2021 financial year. However, the government retained Sh6,546 for development, funding co-curricula activities and purchasing of textbooks, leaving schools with only Sh10,697. In 2021/2022 financial year, a total of Sh17,792 was released per learner but only Sh11,039 reached school accounts with the remaining 6,752 retained at the Ministry of Education. In 2022/2023 financial year, the schools received the least amount of funding only getting Sh9,701 out of the Sh17,339 that was released by the Treasury for each learners' capitation, meaning the government retained a whooping Sh7,637. Cost of commodities The decline was also observed in the 2023/2024 financial year where Sh16,153 was released by the exchequer as each learners capitation but only Sh10,523 got to schools. The school principals further point out that delayed disbursements and rising costs of essential commodities are straining school budgets. For example, a ream of photocopy paper, which cost Sh420 in 2015, now costs Sh890. A 50kg bag of rice that was Sh3,600 now costs Sh7,200, while a 90kg bag of sugar has risen from Sh5,000 to Sh7,800. These price hikes significantly impact school budgets, which have not been adjusted to reflect current inflationary trends. "The current capitation of Sh22,244 per learner was last reviewed seven years ago. Meanwhile, the cost of essential goods and services has surged, yet funding has remained stagnant," the document states. The issue is further compounded by gaps in student registration, leaving some learners without government funding. Schools are owed significant amounts because some students are not captured in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), often due to birth certificate issues. Additionally, the government relies on outdated student population data to allocate funds. In 2022, capitation was based on 2021 figures, funding only 3,587,081 students instead of the actual 3,690,376 enrolled. "Enrollment increases in January, but budget allocations are based on figures from the previous November or December. This discrepancy results in consistent underfunding of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE), with actual capitation always falling short of the expected Sh22,244 per student," the report explains. The impact of underfunding is evident in the declining quality of education, leading to an increase in the number of students scoring Es in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. "Resource shortages directly affect performance, reflected in the rising number of Es recorded nationwide in recent years. This trend is particularly pronounced from 2022 to 2025," the report notes. Moreover, school heads lament that the fees charged to students remain insufficient and fail to align with economic realities. Beyond classroom operations, the funding crisis has crippled co-curricular activities, which are an integral part of the education system. The school heads blame the government for neglecting co-curricular activities in schools. The document reveals that while the government deducts funds from capitation to support sports and non-academic events like music and drama festivals, schools often do not receive the money for these events. As a result, schools can only afford to participate in select activities, undermining the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) goals of developing students' talents in arts and sports. "Some schools have been forced to drop extra-curricular activities entirely, while others rely on teachers and parents to contribute funds," KESSHA notes. The absence of such activities is also linked to a rise in student indiscipline. "Sporting activities play a critical role in student engagement. Their elimination contributes to the surge in unrest witnessed in many schools," the report warns.

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