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Schools start sending children home over free education cash crunch
Form Four students at St Georges Secondary School conduct a Physics practical. The cash crunch that has hit the free education programme might see schools demanding money from parents to keep their children in school. Photo/FILE
Posted Tuesday, March 10 2009 at 21:42
Association chairman John Mbugua said booksellers were owed more than Sh1.7 billion and had stopped supplies to public schools. “We expected the government to release funds by last December to enable us plan on distribution of stock but it is not possible to do business with such huge debtors,” said Mr Mbugua.
In Central Kenya, Kagumo High School principal Robert Njogu said public schools would turn to parents or close down if funds were not released soon. Mr Njogu warned that the delay in releasing funds could trigger school unrest.
Central provincial director of Education Patrick Nyangosia said he was consulting the ministry headquarters as well as head teachers in the region to find ways of getting round the problem.
The chairman of Nyeri High Parents and Teachers Association, Mr Mwangi Kiande said the first term was almost over, but schools had been unable to meet their obligations. In Kirinyaga District, more than 400 headteachers said school operations will soon be paralysed.
The vice-chairman of the local branch of the Kenya Primary School Heads Association, Mr Cyrus Kithaka said schools last received funds in November. He said headteachers would start demanding fees from parents.
Kirinyaga Secondary School Heads Association branch chairman Wanjohi Waihura said headteachers were in a dilemma. “We don’t know what to do and the quicker we are given direction the better,” he said.
Reports by Simon Siele, Kennedy Lumwamu, John Njagi and George Munene
RSS