Head teachers plead for more FPE funds

By JOEL OKWAYO

Primary school head-teachers want the Government to increase allocations for the Free Primary Education programme by 500 per cent.

The Kenya Primary Schools Head-teachers’ Association (KEPSHA) said the allocation of Sh1,020 per a pupil a year was not enough to cater for their welfare, as prices of goods have gone up.

KEPSHA said the funds should be increased from Sh1,020 to Sh5, 000 per pupil for smooth learning in schools.

"The programme was introduced in 2003, when the price of a 96-page exercise book was Sh7, but the same is going for Sh18 now. It is difficult to operate on the same allocations," said KEPSHA National Executive Committee member David Ikunza.

Mr Ikunza, who is also the KEPSHA Western branch Secretary, explained that trade unions had incited subordinate staff to demand for salary increment and the move had made wages go up.

He noted that electricity and water consumption had shot up due to high enrolment in schools. The secretary was speaking at a Kakamega hotel during a meeting of head-teachers from Western Province.

report card

The head-teachers were reviewing the parents’ report card developed by the Ministry of Education and the National Tax Payers Association (NTA).

Western Provincial Director of Education (PDE) Kenneth Misoi and Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Western Provincial Council Secretary Godfrey Odongo were present at the meeting. NTA Western Regional Manager Daniel Namenya was put to task to explain how the report cards will be of benefit.

The participants told off Namenya over some of the requirements the report wants them to implement saying they will create animosity among stakeholders.

NTA National Co-ordinator Kizito Wang’alwa, however, said the report card programme aims at improving accountability and transparency in the management of resources in the education sector.

He explained that management of schools would be made easy, as the report cards would assess all stakeholders.

Odongo said head teachers could not rely on the report card to monitor the performance of teachers.

"How can a pupil be used to evaluate the performance of a teacher?" posed Odongo.

Namenya promised to consult his bosses before holding more talks over the report card programme.