The Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) now want the government to chip in and provide them with funding as the first cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) gears to join junior high school.
Speaking on Saturday, January 15, during an event in Kisumu, KPSA National Chairman Charles Ochome appealed to the state to finance private schools in order to put in place necessary infrastructure for the transition.
He noted that several private schools were struggling to set up resources, including classrooms and academic materials, for the upcoming double intake.
He argued that it was unfair for the state to pump billions into public schools without offering any financial help to private institutions.
"We at the Kenya Private Schools Association plead with the government to consider extending financial support to private schools in form of concessional loans payable interest for the establishment of facilities for junior secondary schools.
"This will assist establish adequate learning facilities for the junior secondary schools now that the public schools facilities are already overstretched," stated Ochome.
He further argued that children enrolled in private schools deserve access to resources just like those in government-sponsored institution.
"All children are Kenyan children irrespective of the institutions that they choose to enroll in. There is no public or private child.
"Therefore, let all of us join our efforts in making public policy and resources including providing learning material and capitation funds to all children whether in private or public schools," he added.
This comes even as the state spends Ksh8 billion in the construction of new classrooms in public high schools to cater for the new CBC cohort.
On January 13, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha launched the first CBC classrooms at Simerro Secondary School Siaya County.
At the event, Magoha also revealed that the second phase of the project was slated to take off in April 2022 and promised that the infrastructure would be ready before elections.
He noted that the first phase is expected to be completed by March 2022.
“Contractors should move faster than the April deadline due to the interruptions by the National Examinations,” he directed.
