Schools broke ahead of KCPE, KCSE exams

 

The administration of the KCPE and KCSE exams could be hampered by schools being broke. 

The government has delayed to release capitation funds for the free primary and day secondary education.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chair Indimuli Kahi said theirs are likely to be the most affected. 

The institutions will be required to operate for another month as the KCSE exams are conducted.

Kahi said with the delay, schools have been left with two choices.

The first option is to close earlier than planned to save on some operation costs. The second is to ask parents to facilitate the stay of their children in school during the examination period.

"Some schools are considering remaining with only candidates this week. This way, it will be easier to manage the operational cost of Form 4's only," Kahi said.  

KCPE exams begin on March 22 and end on March 24 for 1,187,517 candidates.

KCSE candidates will have their rehearsals on March 25 before sitting the exam from March 26 to April 21. Some 751,150 candidates are to take the test.

The Education ministry had in January released half the amount — Sh14.6 billion to fund secondary schools and Sh4.6 billion for primary institutions.

Then-Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang said the remaining half would be sent to schools in the course of the term.

This year, schools will go for four terms instead of the three that define an academic year. 

According to the revised school calendar, the second term of 2020 is supposed to end on March 19. 

However, there is a slight variation in the closure with some schools—mostly private— that begun to close effective Friday.

Delayed capitation has also forced schools into debts, with suppliers yet to be paid. 

Schools have been operating on half a budget despite coming from a closure that caused a backlog in the payment of non-teaching staff and teachers employed by boards of management.

“Various schools are in different situations. Some have big pending bills while others not so big depending on how deep they were hit by the effects of the pandemic,” Kahi told the Star by phone.

Disbursement of money to schools is done in the ratio of 50:30:20 or terms one, two and three.

This means half the money is sent in first term, 30 per cent in second term and the balance released in third term.

Each primary school pupil receives Sh1,420 capitation per year as those in free day secondary schools are allocated Sh22,244.

Kahi further raised concerns about defaulted direct fees paid by students.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha in January warned school heads against sending learners home over unpaid fees.

Kahi said heads were finding it increasingly difficult to pay salaries for subordinate staff and run school operations.   BY THE STAR