NO SCHOOL OPENING NEXT WEEK

Schools are staring into a financial crisis when they reopen next week if the government does not release funds by Friday, October 7.

Operations in high schools are likely to stop, with headteachers on Tuesday, October 5, raising alarm over empty accounts for tuition needs.

The school heads noted that their institutions did not have cash because the funds released for free day secondary for the first term did not include per capita for Form Ones, who reported in August.

According to Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KeSSHA) Chairman Kahi Indimuli, the schools had to use the funds meant for the other students to run the institutions

The government releases capitation funds for the free primary and free secondary education in the ratio of 50:30:20, with First Term getting the bulk of the disbursements.

For the previous term, the government released Ksh17.47 billion to primary and secondary schools.

Of the amount, Ksh2.62 billion was meant for primary school learners while Ksh14.85 billion was meant for secondary school students.

Indimuli highlighted that most parents had not cleared the previous term fees due to the tough economic times caused by the pandemic.

To ensure that schools run smoothly, Indimuli stressed that the government should change the current plan and release funds before reopening schools.

“The culture of reopening schools and having to wait for funds to be released always puts school heads in a very difficult situation,” Indimuli noted.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Ministry of Education Communications Director Kennedy Buhere allayed the teachers’ feats -adding that the money will be released as soon as Treasury releases the funds.

“It is not that we have sat on the money.The money must first be released by Treasury, there should be no cause of alarm” Buhere noted.

By Kenyans