School capitation is a pittance principals

Murang'a High School Principal Mr Willie Kuria who chairs secondary school heads wearing a white red ribbon to mourn the Murang'a secondary school head association vice secretary Solomon Mwangi.[BONIFACE GIKANDI] School heads across Kenya are calling on the government to urgently review capitation funds, citing an inability to meet the rising costs of education, sustain extracurricular activities, and settle debts. The heads say rising cost of living, delayed funding, and stagnant capitation continue to pose significant challenges for schools. Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Willie Kuria painted the grim picture of the situation threatening smooth operations in institutions. School heads feel the capitation set out 15 years ago is no longer viable due to inflation and the high cost of essential goods. "The funds we receive are insufficient to sustain basic operations," said Kuria. The government allocates Sh22,244 per student annually, but only a fraction of this amount is disbursed after deductions. "The amount we currently receive is less than what the government promised. This is the same story we have been treated to since 2008," lamented the KESSHA boss. He expressed frustrations at how school heads are finding it difficult to keep the institutions afloat on shoestring budgets. "A bag of 90 kg beans now averages Sh20,000, up from Sh6,000 in our budgets. The cost of maize has risen to Sh5,000. This cripples our accounts," explained Kuria as he tried to demonstrate how schools are drowning in debts due to delayed disbursements and insufficient funding. According to Chief Principal of Murang'a, the financial strain has forced schools to compromise on critical areas such as extracurricular activities and practical lessons. "The first area to suffer is co-curricular activities. We cannot fund or prepare students to participate," said Kuria. A principal in Kiambu County said the situation is dire for schools without alternative income streams. "Schools that rely solely on government capitation are grappling with debts. This year, we don't have Form One admissions, which usually help settle previous debts," he said. Another principal from Machakos County disclosed that Science subjects have been affected due to the high cost of laboratory chemicals. "Poor performance in sciences can be attributed to this. When students have fee arrears, we cannot provide the necessary resources," she said. Primary schools are experiencing similar frustrations with Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) chairman Johnston Nzioka urging the Ministry of Education to implement recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Reforms. "The capitation and grants should be reviewed every three years to account for inflation and changing needs," said Nzioka. Prof Raphael Munavu led taskforce propose upgraded capitation to cushion schools against rising costs, with minimum packages of Sh70,200 for pre-primary, Sh537,120 for primary level, Sh2,030,805 for junior school, and Sh3,041,145 for senior school. The team further proposed a capitation of Sh1,890,000 for Special Needs Education. Prof Henry Embeywa, a lecturer at Machakos University stressed on the need of increasing capitation but warned that it must be done thoughtfully. "Reviewing upwards is necessary, but they (government) has to consider other factors to cap it at how much," he said. He defended the contentious issue of additional levies charged by schools, saying the majority of the decisions are made by parents. "Once you give schools permission to negotiate with parents, you should stop labeling it as illegal. Economic circumstances have changed, and this calls for policy adjustments," Prof. Embeywa noted. Prof Egara Kabaji, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, raised concerns about the disbursements of funds to schools faulting the constant delays, which disrupts calendar activities. "There was a year the government promised Sh22,000 but only disbursed Sh11,000. To bridge that gap is not easy, and that's why schools ask parents to buy items like ream papers and books," he explained. Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, executive director of Usawa Agenda, said sub-county schools are the most affected with principals being under immense pressure. "Those with high populations have devised different ways of finding extra funds, but smaller schools are struggling. Unfortunately, the lack of transparency in handling these issues makes it harder to find sustainable solutions," he observed. He called for more prompt disbursement of funds to ensure seamless school operations. According to Ouko Muthoni, educationist, ongoing efforts are being made to secure better funding for schools. "We have pressed the Ministry of Finance to enhance capitation for all school-going children. We've also secured commitments on further spending, including hiring more teachers and expanding infrastructure to accommodate CBC transition requirements," Muthoni said.

School capitation is a pittance principals

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