Alarm as schools close early amid funding gaps

Concerns are mounting among parents and education stakeholders over the persistent early closure of schools, defying the Ministry of Education’s official academic calendar.

Schools opened on January 6, and were scheduled to close on April 4, with a mid-term break set between February 26 and March 2.

However, due to financial constraints, many institutions opted to release students a week earlier than planned.

“This term alone, students have lost almost two weeks of learning due to early mid-term and end-of-term breaks,” lamented John Kamau, a concerned parent from Kiambu County.

Parents and education watchdogs are particularly concerned by the financial implications of these disruptions.

It costs approximately Sh378 per day to keep a student in a national school, Sh358 for those in extra-county and county schools, and Sh110 for day scholars.

This means for a national school with at least 1,500 learners, each day lost the school saves Sh567,000 while an extra-county school with similar population saves Sh537,000 in a day.

Many parents feel shortchanged, as school fees remain unchanged despite students spending fewer days in school.

“The suppliers of services in schools are often the principals or their close associates. The money trickles back into their pockets without the government noticing,” lamented Maurine Awour from Kisumu.

National Parents Association Chairman Silas Obuhatsa has called for a comprehensive audit of school funds.

“It’s high time we hold our administrators accountable for the time students are not in school. Who is eating their food or using services provided by the government through capitation,” he told The Standard.

Obuhatsa noted that students are sent home earlier than stipulated every mid-term and the end of the term. “Our parents are struggling to pay fees. After paying, students are sent home early, yet we receive no refunds. Who will stand up for our money?” he asked.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Willy Kuria warned that without urgent intervention, Kenya’s commitment to free and compulsory education could remain an unfulfilled promise.

“The partial and delayed disbursement of capitation funds, coupled with rising costs of goods and services, has placed immense strain on schools,” he said.

Anne Nzau, an education expert, insists that accountability is crucial.

“Even if the government delays capitation or parents pay fees in installments, the funds eventually come. We need transparency on how the money not used for student services is accounted for.”

Legislators have also raised concerns about the opaque management of school capitation funds. Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba called for an audit, suggesting that some funds remain within the Ministry.

“We need a thorough investigation into school capitation. Are you aware that principals are being forced to issue receipts for money they have not received and submit them to the Ministry?” he alleged.

Kuria revealed that the government currently owes public secondary schools nearly Sh64 billion, a debt that has pushed many institutions to the brink of collapse.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, however, recently said the government has no plans to clear the outstanding arrears.

“We were supposed to disburse funds to schools, but we didn’t, and there’s no budget for that. You can’t cover arrears that were meant to be paid in 2020,” he said.