Schools reopen under cloud of financial strain

Another school offered an alternative of accepting foodstuff as payment for those struggling to raise cash.

"Fees for Term 1 must be paid in full on or before opening day. Fees in kind, beans, maize, firewood, soap, will be delivered between 2/1/2024 and 5/1/2024," the back-to-school note reads.

In Naivasha Girls, parents have been asked to pay for remedial classes for the new academic year.

National Parents Association now wants the government to step in and save parents who have been left in confusion over opaqueness in the fees payable in boarding schools with some school heads imposing 'unsanctioned' levies.

School fees

"We want the government to make a pronouncement on the issue of school fees. Parents are paying way above what the ministry has set and there has not been action on any school head up to now," Silas Obuhatsa said.

He indicates that the extra levies for remedial classes, teacher motivation programmes, examination fees, and infrastructure levies have pushed up the fees paid in boarding schools.

Adding to the financial pressure, schools are also facing some changes and other familiar challenges that have plagued the institution in the past, including congestion, limited facilities and teacher shortages.

The reopening will see some 1.2 million pioneer students under the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) joining Grade 8 under the Junior Secondary School wing in primary school.

The class now replaces the defunct Standard 8 under the 8-4-4 education curriculum.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development chief executive Charles Ong'ondo indicated that the government has already distributed textbooks to be used in Grade 8.

Few subjects

Another change schools anticipate to execute as they reopen is the reduction in the number of subjects taught under CBC.

The change is in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms report unveiled on August 1.

Cattle feed on exercise books in a classroom at Daraja Mbili Secondary School on the outskirts of Kisii town. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

He indicated that non-responsiveness in paying fees has seen schools sending learners back home to compel parents to meet the fee obligation.

"School heads are left in a very delicate situation as some parents who can afford to pay fees don't pay unless the schools send their children home," said Indimuli.

Indimuli urged parents who cannot pay school fees in full to make arrangements with school management.

"The economic situation we are in is quite bad for both parents and schools but parents must pay fees and thus should get into an arrangement to ensure that happens," Indimuli said.

Also challenging the reopening of schools is the ongoing heavy rainfall in some parts of the country.

According to the National El Nino Emergency and Disaster Response Command Centre, at least 7,878 learning institutions have been affected by the El Nino rains as of January 5, 2024.

The Education Ministry has not issued any direction on how teaching and learning will be done in the affected areas and schools.

However, the rains could see some learners in the affected institutions forced to remain home or move to other schools.

Teaching in Junior Secondary Schools also could be affected by threats to strike by teachers under internship contracts.

The thousands of intern teachers have threatened not to resume duty in January unless the government employs them on permanent and pensionable terms as per an earlier agreement.

The threat, if made good, could disrupt teaching and learning in JSSs that largely depend on intern teachers.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) hired 46,000 intern teachers last year to bridge the gap in its bid to address the challenge of the shortage of teachers. Of these, 21,500 were deployed to JSS.

Parents queue to buy books at a bookshop in Mwembe Tayari, Mombasa. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

However, the commission indicated that the interns will have to serve two consecutive years on the internship before they are employed on permanent and pensionable terms.

However, the interns have been uncomfortable with the arrangement. They said they are qualified and registered with TSC and do not understand why they are being treated as those still in college training, getting a stipend, not a salary.

Schools will also be opening in the wake of the collapse of the school medical cover that has been in place for the last four-and-a-half years.

The cover, also known as EduAfya comprehensive medical insurance for secondary school students, ended effective December 31, leaving parents and educators to figure out solutions amid the fears of the potential impact on students' well-being.

Adopted in May of 2018, the end of the medical cover now raises questions of why a project of such a noble and important cause would be eliminated and the fate of students with existing and undetected chronic conditions.