Secondary schools are in a financial crisis that could affect purchase of examination materials next term, head teachers have warned.
The teachers want the National Treasury to urgently release Sh12 billion free education money.
Citing that there were only two weeks to end of second term, the head teachers warned that unless they receive the cash immediately to service debt, they would be in bad books with suppliers next term, which could disrupt preparation for examinations.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) national chairman Kahi Indimuli yesterday said anxiety was growing in public schools over the delayed release of the money. He said school heads feared that operations in their institutions might grind to a halt as a financial crisis hits their management.
Facing a crisis
“We are foreseeing a problem and that is why we plead with the Government to release the money,” said Mr Indimuli.
School managers who spoke yesterday said the institutions were already facing a crisis due to delayed disbursement and noted that this might grow bigger if the debt was rolled over to third term, an examination period.
Indimuli pleaded with the National Treasury to release the money before schools close.
“Can we receive the money to service debts before end of the term so that when schools open next term we start on a fresh plate with our creditors? We do not want disruption during the examination term,” said Indimuli.
He said last year school heads faced serious crisis of purchase of examination material and specimen ahead of national tests. “We plead that the money be released early for smooth administration of examinations next term,” he said.
Some 1.7 million candidates have been registered to sit KCPE and KCSE.
Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) data shows that some 1,089,671 candidates were registered to sit Standard Eight examinations in 28,291 centres in the country. Another 698,935 were registered to sit KCSE in 10,304 centres.
Form Four
Candidates who will sit KCPE examinations will start from October 28 to 31. KCSE tests will start on November 4 and end on November 27.
The Government already released Sh46 billion to public primary and secondary schools.
Secondary schools received Sh40 billion while Sh6 billion was sent to primary schools.
