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Listen to school heads on fees and other hitches

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By  Editorial

What you need to know:

  • The head teachers, including principals in charge of the secondary schools, find themselves struggling to keep the institutions running.
  • The challenges for the school heads have become even more disturbing in the tough transition to the competency-based education (CBE).

The job of being a school head has never been this demanding. And it boils down to funding, which presents a tough challenge for the government, parents, and other education sector stakeholders.

The head teachers, including principals in charge of the secondary schools, find themselves struggling to keep the institutions running. Most of the time, the capitation funds are delayed. And even when they are released late, the funds are inadequate. It is as if the school heads are expected to become magicians. 

Even though funds are delayed, it is as if they must perform miracles to keep the learners in school, as they are not allowed to send them home over outstanding fees. The challenges for the school heads have become even more disturbing in the tough transition to the competency-based education (CBE).

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Review of capitation

With 1.2 million Grade 9 learners in junior school expected to join senior school in January, the head teachers have proposed a new fees structure. And the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association want the senior schools to be allowed to establish junior wings

To enable a smooth transition, the government has begun honing the skills of all the secondary school teachers. Besides retooling the tutors, the government is also building laboratories and other facilities. 

The principals are pushing for a review of capitation in line with rising enrolment and infrastructure demands to support the transition to the CBE, especially at the senior school level. They want the national schools’ fees capped at Sh73,182, extra-county and county schools at Sh68,023, and day schools at Sh5,372. They have also proposed that capitation be reviewed every three years due to inflation.

The principals need the Education ministry’s support to streamline fees payment and also address the issue of Form Four students who end up leaving with unpaid fees. These problems in the education sector should be fixed to ensure a smooth transition and gainful learning.