• Government gives just Sh1,470 in capitation for every learner.
"Government should be candid and tell parents what they need to take care of and what they (government) will do instead of sugar-coating a programme that died ages ago," Maiyo said.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Head teachers have criticised the government over poor funding for free primary education, saying the programme is dead.
In a two-page document drafted by the Kenya Primary School Heads Association, the teachers said the government has neglected the programme.
Free primary education was launched in 2003 during President Mwai Kibaki's administration to boost access.
In its inception year, the government allocated Sh1,370 as tuition fees per child. That amount has increased by just Sh100, an amount head teachers say is not commensurate with the rise in the cost of living.
“Primary schools have for a long time been overlooked and discriminated [against] in the disbursement of free education funding. That has stagnated at Sh1,470 annually for almost 20 years,” the school heads say.
They said it was no longer realistic to run schools at such a cost and that free primary education was hanging by a thread.
The document is dated October 23, and is signed by Kepsha chairman Nicholas Gathemia.
“Where did you hear of a school that pays Sh1,500 for fees? The truth must be told. It is high time the stakeholders explained how free is free education regarding quality,” Gathemia told the Star.
In 2013, the Kibaki administration committed to taking care of all the expenses required for a child's education, from text and exercise books, pens, pencils and tuition fees.
The rationale was that parents would only be required to buy uniforms.
However, Kenya Parents Association chairman Nicholas Maiyo says a big part of school expenses have been reverted to them.
Gathemia said head teachers have been left to scavenge for funds to mitigate the shortage in government capitation.
“Since the suspension of learning in March 2020, security, water, electricity, repairs/maintenance of infrastructure are all catered for by the heads,” Gathemia said.
Even when released, Gathemeia said, “the funds come very late in the term, further hindering early preparation of teaching and learning and at the end results in under covering (sic) of the syllabus."
In their proposal, the school heads want the government to remodel and directly pay for support staff like it does with teachers' salaries.
They also want the government to directly pay the postal rental box, electricity, and water bills.
“Vote heads provision on these are far below expectations. Schools are in arrears to clear their debts,” Gathemia said.
Maiyo says it is laughable that Kenyans still believe in free primary education.
"Government should be candid and tell parents what they need to take care of and what they (government) will do instead of sugar-coating a programme that died ages ago," Maiyo said.
The head teachers asked the government to employ all tutors who have graduated from the TTCs to reduce shortage in personnel.
Gathemia also slammed the government for failing to provide funds for the recent assessment of Grade 4 and Standard 8 learners.
The assessment sought to establish learning gaps that might have existed in the seven months during which schools were closed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Kenya National Examinations Council should do early preparations to enable any national assessment to run smoothly and uniformly. The current Grade 4 and Standard 8 assessment exercise has a lot of challenges that should not have been experienced if proper preparations were done,” he said.
Edited by P.O