'Conned' yet again: Schools face exams without, slashed State funds

A standoff is brewing between the government and public schools over the delayed release of capitation funds, putting the smooth administration of this year’s national examinations and assessments at risk.

The Standard has established that thousands of primary and junior secondary schools have gone for an entire term without receiving any money from the government.

The cash crunch has left head teachers struggling to run institutions as candidates prepared to sit their national exams.

At the same time, secondary schools were hit with a shocker after the government released less than half of the expected capitation funds the institutions expected this year.

Documents seen by The Standard reveal that secondary schools have so far received Sh10,376 per learner under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme, a sharp drop from the Sh22,244 allocation per learner each year.

According to the funding schedule, schools received Sh4,196.80 per student in Term One, comprising Sh821.50 for tuition and Sh3,375.30 for operations.

The Ministry of Education retained Sh260 from that amount.

In Term Two, the allocation dropped to Sh3,211.60 per student, with Sh627 going to tuition and Sh2,584.60 for operations. The retained amount stood at Sh212.50.

By Term Three, the capitation dwindled even further to Sh2,968.23 per learner, made up of Sh828.80 for tuition and Sh2,139.43 for operations, with Sh126.69 held by the ministry.

In total, the three disbursements translate to Sh2,277.30 for tuition and Sh8,099.33 for operations, summing up to Sh10,376.63 per student, while the government retained Sh599.19.

The drastic cut rattled school heads who struggled to keep operations afloat as the exam season approached.

The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Primary Schools Education Assessment (KPSEA) will be conducted between October 27 and November 3.

Candidates sitting for the KCSE examinations began their practical and oral tests on October 21 and are set to start their written papers on November 4.

Many institutions say the reduced funding has left them unable to meet basic costs such as feeding candidates, paying non-teaching staff, or maintaining utilities.

For primary and junior secondary schools, set to begin national assessments on Monday, the situation is even worse, with some schools indicating that they are yet to receive a single shilling in capitation funds.

This means the schools have operated for the entire third term without any financial support from the government.

On Thursday, the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) termed the situation unprecedented, noting that at least a third of primary and junior secondary schools were yet to receive any third-term funding.

Initially, the Ministry of Education had explained that the delay was caused by an audit exercise to establish the exact number of learners in schools after an earlier audit by the Office of the Auditor-General revealed the existence of ghost schools and learners.

KEPSHA chairman Fuad Ali has now urged the government to speed up the release of capitation funds to the remaining institutions.

“It will be bad to get into the assessment mood without the funds. We are hoping that the schools will be able to get the funding before the assessment so that they can settle outstanding debts,” Fuad said in an interview with The Standard.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers warned that the funding shortfall could compromise exam preparations and the credibility of the education system.

KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori accused senior education officials of leaving schools in financial disarray as the exam season looms.

“It is unfortunate that in this country, we like managing by crisis, even in serious matters like national examinations. You no longer know who to believe or who to trust with duty and responsibility,” Misori said.

According to KUPPET, many schools are yet to receive their third-term capitation funds, despite assurances by the Education Cabinet Secretary earlier in the year that all disbursements would be completed after data validation.

Misori expressed concern that the delayed and reduced disbursements could jeopardize exam preparations, particularly in schools offering science and technology subjects that require practical sessions.

“No candidate is paying for examination fees in public schools. But how do you expect schools to conduct science and computer practicals without funds? It’s disheartening and compromises the students’ right to sit for exams on equal footing,” he warned.

Similarly, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu has raised concern over the delay in releasing the third-term capitation funds.

Oyuu warned that schools set to conduct the KJSEA and KPSEA assessments will be strained in meeting operational costs during the examination period.

He further cautioned that staff in the affected institutions, who have missed salaries, could refuse to take part in administering the exams.

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) also expressed concern that the reduced disbursements could compromise the quality and integrity of the national examinations, calling for urgent intervention from the Treasury.

“Cutting funding at this critical moment puts unnecessary pressure on schools and learners,” Willy Kuria, the KESSHA chairman, said.

By Thursday evening, the Ministry of Education had yet to give an update on the release of the capitation funds.