First, let's talk about the headline. Is it communicating what the story intends to communicate?
The bitter-sweet truth about school capitation facing heads
Public secondary schools are grappling with funding deficit despite the government confirming that it disbursed Sh18.5 billion capitation at the start of third term this September.
Sh10.96 billion went to Senior Secondary Schools (Grades 10 to 12), Sh6.14 billion to Junior Secondary (Grade 7-9) and Sh1.40 billion Primary school learners.
Releasing the funds, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the funds were aimed at facilittating smooth operations and avoiding learning disruptions for the different cadres of learners in the basic education.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Willie Kuria says a share of the funds for secondary schools falls short of the Sh22,244 annual allocation per learner.
"This year, what has landed in school accounts is Sh14,050 per student," Kuria said.
He said the explicities of how the money is shared is such that whereas the records at the ministry indicates total disbursement of Sh16,141, some of that amount is retained to cover text books.
"We say that Sh16,141 has been released per student but it's not all that money that arrives in school account. This year, although that money has been released, Sh2,000 has been retained at the Ministry of Education," he told the media at his office on Monday.
Other than text books, Kuria said the money is retained to cater for other vote heads such as co-curricular activities and for Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE).
Kuria said the statutory deductions and obligations have left an an outstanding deficit of about Sh8,000 per student, complicating smooth running of operations and preparations for upcoming national assessment and KCSE exams.
The KESSHA boss said the issue is further compounded by persistent funding deficit over the years that has left many schools with accrued pending bills owed to suppliers.
"Last year, the ministry released Sh15,383 per learner. The ministry retained Sh811, so it means last year what landed in accounts was Sh14,572."
Kuria said last year, there was a deficit of Sh6,560 per learner, money he said would never be paid since the ecademic year lapsed, leaving schools heavily indebted.
"There's no compensation that you didn't get this, you get this successding year."
Amid the financial woes, school heads find themselves in a tight position after Ogamba warned against imposing unauthorised levies, saying the ministry would take action against institutions found to have charged parents illegal fees.
“As a ministry, we will deal firmly with any verified cases of misappropriation of resources and the imposition of unauthorised levies,” he said.
Third term is the shortest yet the most demanding learning period as schools must complete syllabuses and adequately prepare candidates for the national assessments and KCSE exams coming later at the end of October.
