Secondary schools struggling to prepare for KCSE - KESSHA

@Alicewangechi

The majority of secondary schools are struggling to prepare for the national examinations, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has revealed.

Chairperson Willie Kuria has said the government is yet to release over Sh6,000 out of the Sh22,224 capitation provided for each learner annually.

The schools, he confirmed, have received just over Sh15,000 this year and that Sh3,800 were for the infrastructure account, leaving just Sh11,300 for the tuition and operation accounts.

The arrears, he said, have made it difficult for schools to prepare for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations scheduled to start on October 18 this year.

“Many schools are finding it difficult to prepare for the national examinations because they are required to purchase materials such as laboratory apparatus and chemicals, and the funds are not available,” he said.

Further, Kuria said schools depend on the capitation to pay workers such as laboratory technicians and teachers employed by the Boards of Management.

He added that the delayed disbursements have seen the workers go without salary, compromising the quality of education being provided to students.

“The mood in schools is not very good because of the non-teaching staff members who are going without salaries. Education is very delicate. We need to have workers who are willing to take care of learners,” Kuria said.

He stated that the situation is worse in day schools that don’t have any other source of income and purely rely on the capitation.

Kuria said day secondary schools have been struggling to buy essential commodities necessary for studies.

“When the capitation is not available, most of the day schools struggle to survive. The situation is worse in schools with few students,” he added.

Kuria appealed to the National Treasury to consider releasing the remaining funds to make it easier for schools to prepare for the national examinations.

He pointed out that with closing dates set for October 25, many schools may be unable to sustain their operations up to the time because of financial constraints.

“We’re requesting the government to release at least part of the money so that the third term can end well because even as the rest of the students go home later this month, Form 4 students will stay until November 22 and need to be maintained in school,” Kuria said.

Kuria who is also Murang’a Boys High School's principal said the capitation amounts were set at Sh10,560 in 2008 and have only been raised to Sh11,000 which is not sufficient to sustain a learner in school.