Public Schools Face Imminent Shutdown Due to Severe Funding Crisis.
Public secondary schools across Kenya are on the brink of closure due to a chronic decline in government funding, with school heads warning that unless immediate action is taken, the education system will face a severe disruption.
A recent document by the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), titled Operational Crisis in Schools, revealed that the government is currently disbursing only Sh10,000 per student annually, far below the expected Sh22,244. This funding gap has been growing since 2020, worsened by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the KESSHA document, the actual amount per student has steadily decreased, with schools receiving Sh10,479.37 per student in the 2023/2024 financial year, compared to Sh17,243 in the 2020/2021 period. In the 2022/2023 financial year, only Sh9,701 out of the expected Sh17,339 per student reached schools. With the current financial year, funding has dropped to just Sh10,523 per student out of the Sh16,153 allocated.
School heads have raised alarm that delayed disbursements and rising commodity prices, such as the cost of paper and foodstuffs, have further strained their already limited budgets. For instance, a ream of photocopy paper that cost Sh420 in 2015 now costs Sh890, while the price of rice has doubled from Sh3,600 to Sh7,200 for a 50kg bag.
This funding shortfall, which has not been adjusted for inflation in the past seven years, is threatening the quality of education, with a rise in students scoring low marks in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, including an increase in the number of students receiving “E” grades. Schools are struggling to maintain co-curricular activities, which are an essential part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), as the government has not provided adequate funding for these programs.
The situation has worsened due to discrepancies in student registration data. The National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which is used to allocate funds to schools, often fails to capture all students, leading to further underfunding. This issue stems from outdated enrollment data and gaps in registration, particularly among students lacking birth certificates.
The funding crisis is not only jeopardizing the academic future of thousands of students but also contributing to rising student unrest and indiscipline. Without sufficient resources for sports, arts, and other co-curricular activities, schools are left with fewer outlets for student engagement, exacerbating behavior problems.
KESSHA is urging the government to immediately address the funding gap and ensure timely disbursements to schools. If the situation is not rectified, the future of Kenya’s public secondary schools and the education of countless students will be at significant risk.
Public Schools Face Imminent Shutdown Due to Severe Funding Crisis