Headteachers fault certificates order

Secondary school principals have criticised a government directive to release certificates, saying it sets the stage for parents to refuse paying school fees.

Addressing a press conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman John Awiti said that because of the directive parents don’t feel obligated to pay school fees since their children will get the certificate anyway.

“If you have nothing to hold parents on to to pay, it will difficult to have them pay school fees even for continuing students. This will throw schools into crises as there is a limit to the survival tactics you can employ to survive,” said Mr Awiti.

The association chairman, who is also the principal of St Mary’s Yala in Siaya, said the school principals will run up huge debts to suppliers and non-teaching staff. (READ: Knut warning on certificates order)

“School property will be auctioned since principals do not have money to pay suppliers; schools can also be taken to courts by creditors,” he said.

They have called on the government to meet them and decide how to handle the directive.

Issues include how far back heads can go in issuing certificates as some of the students are employed.

He added that the headteachers sometimes held onto the certificates because candidates had damaged school property.

“We support the directive, but we are looking for a win-win situation where the school is not left in a crisis,” said Mr Awiti.

He said that since the directive was issued, former students who were doing well financially had come to demand certificates.

“One head told me a former student came driving a Prado but he will not pay arrears of Sh13,000 since the Presidential order.”

Head teachers also complained over the perpetual delay in releasing of free secondary school money. (READ: Ruto orders release of free school funds)