President's directive will worsen woes in schools

Parent captured at Kakamega main market after buying a school box for his child on December 31,2025. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

President William Ruto last week ordered chiefs and parents to ensure all Grade 10 learners report to school irrespective of whether they have fees and uniform, or not. At face value, the directive appears to address concerns on the fate of thousands of students from humble backgrounds.

On serious reflection, however, the order is akin to putting a bandage over a festering wound. It doesn’t address the thorny issues. Why would the President order students to report when the institutions meant to receive them are on their knees?

In recent years, the government has reduced capitation from approximately Sh22,000 to Sh17,000 per student. Worse still, the government owes schools capitation for the two years it failed to remit.

This reduction has put a strain on schools that are now struggling to maintain basic operations. The ensuing financial paralysis has rendered schools unable to pay suppliers, salaries and maintain infrastructure. Directing headteachers to admit students who are unable to pay fees while a good idea will aggravate the financial crisis in schools.

Headteachers already struggling to keep their schools operational now have the additional burden of accepting students without fees and other prerequisites for admission.

They are hemmed in by the presidential order, societal expectations and the onus of running schools without adequate finances. They find themselves on a collision course with parents who expect the presidential directive to be respected.

The government should release the capitation arrears so that schools can be able to take care of the students that have admitted without paying fees. If the money is paid, the schools will also be able to buy uniforms for the students. 

Notably, uniforms provide more than aesthetic uniformity. They create institutional identity and social equality among students from different economic backgrounds. While we must show flexibility toward genuinely struggling families, treating uniforms as dispensable reflects a casual attitude toward educational standards that should concern us all.

The government should also show more seriousness on matters of education ending the textbook crisis. Grade 10 learning materials remain undistributed because the government owes publishers over Sh11 billion. We are essentially ordering students into classrooms where they will have nothing to learn from. The absurdity of this situation cannot be overstated.

Teacher shortages compound the problem. Our schools lack adequate personnel, and existing teachers are already overwhelmed.

Roadside declarations unaccompanied by decisive action are nothing but empty promises uttered to hoodwink the public and in so doing, harm students. The Kenyan education system needs action, not empty rhetoric.

Populist declarations that shift responsibility to parents, chiefs, and headteachers without addressing core issues are a waste of time. They create the illusion of progress while the system continues to deteriorate.