Parents will be forced to dig deeper into their pockets after school principals hiked second-term fees.
As students settle into the new term following reopening, parents have raised concerns over rising school fees and additional charges, despite a government directive warning principals against increasing costs.
However, defending the move by the principals, Kenya Union of Post Primary School Teachers (KUPPET) officials from the Bungoma County led by branch Executive Secretary Augustine Kundu Luketelo revealed that the hike was necessary to finance the school since the government delays capitation funds.
Further, the officials argued that mostly, the government sends incomplete capitations crippling the functions of most schools and forcing principals to hike the fees to keep school operations on the move.
"Some people are complaining about additional school fees charged by principals. But principals are under pressure — government capitation is never enough and is rarely paid in full. Inflation has gone up, so there is no way schools can be run and maintained without parents contributing some extra cash," Luketelo said.
As the second term enters its second day, schools have yet to receive capitation funds. Education officials have now demanded that the government disburse the funds by Friday, warning that learning activities could grind to a halt.
"We were expecting the funds before schools officially reopened, but unfortunately, they haven't been sent. Our appeal to the government is to ensure the money reaches school accounts by Friday," the officials stated.
The delay in the release of the capitation funds comes at a time when the schools are experiencing a major shift with grade 9 students expected to choose their senior secondary school pathways.
Speaking on Sunday, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Hesbon Otieno warned that there was a need for the funds to be released urgently as they were needed to facilitate the seamless transition.
"I know now that students are going to start selecting the pathways that they are going to handle in grade 10. Schools need to be empowered to ensure that this work is done promptly so that there are no delays and frustrations from the heads of institutions and the management of the schools," Otieno noted.
Meanwhile, parents have decried a hike in the prices of school requirements, including books and school uniforms, and called on the government to intervene.
Further, the parents have urged schools not to send students who have not paid the term back home as they plead for more time to look for the money.
