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Primary school headteachers’ yesterday asked Members of Parliament to increase monies disbursed to match the rise in cost of living.

Speaking during the ongoing Kenya Primary Schools Headteachers Association (Kepsha) annual conference in Mombasa, association chairman Johnston Nzioka complained that the rising cost of living was negatively affecting the standards of education.

Nzioka said the current monies given to each learner in primary school greatly disadvantaged those in remote parts of the country.

He said that capitation for students currently stands at Sh1,450 terming it too little to sustain the education challenges many schools are facing.

“We ask the Ministry of Education to help in scaling up capacity building to enhance the leadership skills and competencies of head teachers, school staff and parents, to address the evolving educational landscape,” said Nzioka.

The school heads also asked the government to train teachers on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) as well as ensure internet connecttion in line with proposal from the presidential task force on the new education system.

Financial constraints

Some of the headteachers attending the conference complained that managing schools has become a nightmare due to shortage of finances.

One headteacher, identified as Dennis Tito, said there is need for capitation to be increased.

“Some schools in remote areas are facing a challenge of infrastructure, we know the cost of living is high and we need to increase the monies allocated to schools to meet the demand,” said Chepkosiom Mathew, the headteacher of Kapsinendil School in Narok county.

The school heads also want the government to ensure requisite support to enable the comprehensive School leadership across all levels to foster a positive and supportive school culture that promotes learners’ well-being, staff morale and academic excellence.

Transition period

Nzioka appealed to the Ministry of Education to have the current primary school headteachers confirmed as principals of Junior Secondary Schools, considering that they have served in this position through the transition period.

“To have the current Primary School Head Teachers confirmed as Principals of JSS, considering that they have served in this position through the interim transition period and have therefore amassed the necessary expertise to steer the full transition to a comprehensive school, from stand- alone Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary Schools,” said Nzioka.

The school heads also praised the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for promoting some primary school heads.

“We acknowledge the government for promoting Primary School Head Teachers from Job Group P1, domiciling Junior Secondary School in primary schools, setting aside money for promotion of teachers in the coming fiscal year, through the Teachers Service Commission and proposed increment in Free Primary Education capitation,” said Nzioka.

Capitation programme

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has told lawmakers to factor in the supplementary estimates of the Sh22 billion required to deliver free education to all learners in secondary schools.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang told MPs that this additional funding is essential for the proper operation of secondary institutions.

The MPs who sit in the Committee for Education chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly assured the PS of their support but urged him to pursue the matter with his counterparts at the National Treasury.

He said: “I appeal to the committee for assistance in obtaining an additional Sh22 billion, which is a shortfall in their budget for the school capitation programme. “

The move comes days after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said that the ministry was facing a whopping Sh22 billion deficit to deliver free education to all learners in secondary schools.
Machogu warned that the situation could get worse as the number of learners in secondary schools alone increases by over 240,000 next year.

He said the current secondary school population is 3.9 million learners against an available budget of Sh65 billion this financial year noting that this amount is below the approved Sh22,240 per learner, leaving a funding deficit of Sh22 billion.

“Next year, we project that the enrollment will be 4.2 million learners. If the funding remains as it is, the capitation will reduce to Sh15,476 per learner,” said the CS.

Professional skills

At the same time, Principal Secretary in charge of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Esther Muoria told lawmakers that the Department requires Sh100 million for induction and training of newly recruited tutors.

She explained that most of the tutors lack sufficient teaching professional skills, which necessitated the training to enhance their capacity.

Machogu reassured the Committee that in future, they will clarify that applicants for teaching positions in Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) must possess a postgraduate training in education.

Their remarks, however, raised concerns among Committee Members who sought to know why the ministry was incurring an extra cost in training people.

Said Melly: “There are thousands of Kenyans with degrees in various technical subjects and postgraduate diplomas in education. These are the people you need to hire when looking for tutors. There is no need to incur an extra cost in training people,” advised the chairperson

He added: “Why should you spend such a huge amount of money in retraining the tutors? The cash should be channeled to equipping the learning institutions or any other useful venture.”