School heads demand release of learners' capitation

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairperson Willie Kuria has urged the government to release full student’s capitation.

Kuria, who is also Murang’a Boys High School principal, said schools have received about Sh10,400 out of the Sh22,244 allocated per student annually.

He said the amount is too little to sustain the students in school.

Kuria said failure by the government to disburse the required funds has disrupted operations.

Kuria spoke in Murang'a during the celebration of his election as KESSHA chairperson three months.

He said he will initiate talks with the Ministry of Education to ensure the problem is resolved.

He urged the government to make Knec an autonomous body in order to deal with cheating.

If this is implemented, the council’s CEO will be the only person answerable to examinations cheating.

National examinations have in the recent past faced strong external influences that have compromised the exams integrity.

“We have done our research and realised that mechanisms we have put in place to deal with cheating, only work for some time," Kuria said.

“According to our research, the long lasting solution will be to make Knec autonomous and empower the CEO to stem the trend."

He said the examination process should be streamlined to give all candidates a level ground.

The chairperson urged the government to place some junior high classes in secondary schools.

“As Kessha, we had proposed that JSS be shared between primary and secondary schools," Kuria said. 

He said Grade 7 should remain in primary schools while Grade 8 and 9 be domiciled in secondary schools.

Kuria said secondary schools have facilities that would ease JSS learning unlike primary schools.

“We’re also finding that keeping a child in primary school for 11 years and only three years in high school may not be enough to prepare them for university," he said.

“The time is too short and may not promote proper development of the child. During our time, we spent six years in high school and seven in primary school."

Murang’a Kessha chairperson Esther Wambugu said they will work together with the government to improve education.

Murang’a county director for education Anne Kiilu said the government will roll out Senior Secondary School in 2026.

She urged Kessha to work together with Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association to improve education standards especially the CBC curriculum.