Secondary School Headteachers Implore Treasury to Release Funds Over Looming Financial Crisis

Secondary school headteachers now want the treasury to release funds to enable the continuity of normal learning.

The looming financial crisis, the heads warn, will affect the process of learning, coverage of syllabus and administration of exams as schools may lack funds to purchase examination materials next term.

The National treasury is required to release around 12 billion shillings allocated for free education to cater for the purchase of all the learning materials needed.

The Treasury had released a total of 46 billion shillings towards the education sector, of which 40 billion was given to secondary schools and 6 billion shillings to public primary schools.

The school headteachers say that should the ministry of the treasury fail to release these funds as soon as possible, public schools risk crushing with book suppliers as they still have debts and that would mean the preparation for examinations will be jeopardized.

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) national chairman, Kahi Indimuli, said that they were foreseeing a problem, that needs immediate government action.

“Anxiety is growing in our public schools over the delayed release of funds by the treasury. The government should act promptly or operations in our schools come to a halt as this crisis is obviously hitting headteachers’ management,” he said.

The Kessha chairperson pleaded with the treasury to release the money to the schools before schools close in two weeks so that all the debts are paid this term and for exam preparation not to be affected.

“Last year school heads had a problem of purchase of exam materials and specimen ahead of the national examinations,” Said Mr. Indimuli.

According to the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) timetable, KCPE examinations are set for October 28 to October 31 and KCSE will start on November 4 until November 27.

The council has 1.7 million registered to sit the national examinations this year.

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