Daily Nation
March 12, 2009
Some of Kenya's schools started sending children home on Tuesday as the crisis over free education funds continued to bite.
The reports from Rift Valley province came as the government tried to fend off bitter criticism over its failure to disburse funds for the first term.
Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi could still not say when the funds, delayed for three months, would be released even as Nation reliably learnt that the cash was not immediately available. “We assure school management committees and boards that the government will shortly release the funds,” was all he could say.
Hardest hit
Secondary school heads and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) urged the government to release the funds immediately or spell out alternative ways of running the schools.
They criticised Prof Mutahi’s disclosure on Monday that funds for educating 10 million primary and secondary school children had been diverted to buy food.
Knut secretary-general Lawrence Majali accused the government of neglecting education, saying there were other less important sectors whose funds could have been diverted to buy food.“The government is creating an unnecessary crisis, which will mess up our future generation. Education officials must immediately send the money to schools,” he said.]
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman Cleophas Tirop said day schools would be the hardest hit. “I urge the authorities to give priority to day schools, which fully depend on the free allocations,” he said.
He also urged the government to review the concept of free secondary school if it was finding it difficult to implement.
On Monday, Prof Mutahi announced that further delays should be expected in the disbursement of at least Sh10 billion for the first term “because more than Sh37 billion has been spent in purchasing food”.
Pressed when the funds would be released, he could not tell since “I am only a recipient.” “It is a question that we should not be asking now given the magnitude of the food shortage in the country,” he said.
The government pays fees for 8.2 million children in primary schools and 1.3 million in secondary schools. “We expect a delay but we hope it would be for a short time,” he told journalists.
On Tuesday, Rift Valley Knut representative Sammy Bor said the delay was a big disappointment and cases of children dropping out of school would rise.
In Koibatek District, seven of the 41 public secondary schools have sent students on half term break.
Area Knut executive secretary Stanley Kiptis said Poror Day Secondary School was the latest to send its students home and said parents might be forced to dig into their pockets to keep their children in school.
He said schools in the region had only received Sh600,000 since the year started, half of which went to primary schools.
“The money is too little considering the region requires Sh840 million per term for primary school and Sh1.6 billion for secondary schools,” he said.
Kenya National Association of Parents secretary-general Musau Ndunda said most schoolchildren had no textbooks or writing materials as the ministry last released funds in April last year. He spoke as the Booksellers and Stationers Association was making plans on how to get the government to pay for last year’s supplies.
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
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/544320/-/u34a5w/-/index.html
March 12, 2009
Some of Kenya's schools started sending children home on Tuesday as the crisis over free education funds continued to bite.
The reports from Rift Valley province came as the government tried to fend off bitter criticism over its failure to disburse funds for the first term.
Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi could still not say when the funds, delayed for three months, would be released even as Nation reliably learnt that the cash was not immediately available. “We assure school management committees and boards that the government will shortly release the funds,” was all he could say.
Hardest hit
Secondary school heads and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) urged the government to release the funds immediately or spell out alternative ways of running the schools.
They criticised Prof Mutahi’s disclosure on Monday that funds for educating 10 million primary and secondary school children had been diverted to buy food.
Knut secretary-general Lawrence Majali accused the government of neglecting education, saying there were other less important sectors whose funds could have been diverted to buy food.“The government is creating an unnecessary crisis, which will mess up our future generation. Education officials must immediately send the money to schools,” he said.]
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman Cleophas Tirop said day schools would be the hardest hit. “I urge the authorities to give priority to day schools, which fully depend on the free allocations,” he said.
He also urged the government to review the concept of free secondary school if it was finding it difficult to implement.
On Monday, Prof Mutahi announced that further delays should be expected in the disbursement of at least Sh10 billion for the first term “because more than Sh37 billion has been spent in purchasing food”.
Pressed when the funds would be released, he could not tell since “I am only a recipient.” “It is a question that we should not be asking now given the magnitude of the food shortage in the country,” he said.
The government pays fees for 8.2 million children in primary schools and 1.3 million in secondary schools. “We expect a delay but we hope it would be for a short time,” he told journalists.
On Tuesday, Rift Valley Knut representative Sammy Bor said the delay was a big disappointment and cases of children dropping out of school would rise.
In Koibatek District, seven of the 41 public secondary schools have sent students on half term break.
Area Knut executive secretary Stanley Kiptis said Poror Day Secondary School was the latest to send its students home and said parents might be forced to dig into their pockets to keep their children in school.
He said schools in the region had only received Sh600,000 since the year started, half of which went to primary schools.
“The money is too little considering the region requires Sh840 million per term for primary school and Sh1.6 billion for secondary schools,” he said.
Kenya National Association of Parents secretary-general Musau Ndunda said most schoolchildren had no textbooks or writing materials as the ministry last released funds in April last year. He spoke as the Booksellers and Stationers Association was making plans on how to get the government to pay for last year’s supplies.
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
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/544320/-/u34a5w/-/index.html
