Release school cash to avert learning crisis

Concerns over a financial crunch in the public schools have dominated discourse in education circles in the past weeks.

Schools are cash-strapped and cannot carry out programmes because of delay in cash disbursement by the Ministry of Education.

The most affected are primary and public day secondary schools, which entirely depend on government funding.

Boarding schools, at least, collect fees from students and can, therefore, afford to rollout some programmes.

It is unfair to keep the institutions for three weeks without the subventions, yet everybody knows the academic calendar and the imperative to plan ahead.

Indeed, it is upsetting that the problem persists every year. The impression one gets is that bureaucrats at the Education ministry and the Treasury are not duly troubled by the chaos they occasion when school funds delay.

Before schools closed for the third term last year, the Education ministry issued a timetable for cash remittances to the institutions and categorically declared that the first tranche would be sent by December.

Subsequently, the remaining instalments would be sent a month before the second and third terms, respectively. That did not happen and was not a surprise.

Under the free primary education programme, the government allocates Sh1,420 for every pupil per year to meet all learning costs.

Every student in secondary school is entitled to Sh22,244 a year. In particular, this is targeted to cover the full cost for day scholars.

Boarding secondary schools charge Sh53,544 a year. Without any funding, day secondary as well as primary schools cannot meet their financial obligations.

Not only is that a threat to quality education, it undermines discipline and order in schools.

Free primary education and subsidised secondary education stand out as noble commitments by the government.

Access to universal basic education, which comprises primary and secondary schooling, is a constitutional imperative and a human right.

This goal must be realised, which is why the government is pushing for a 100 percent transition from primary to secondary school.

But that is only possible with proper planning, timely resource provision and effective execution of programmes.

The National Treasury has promised to release the cash before the end of the week — basically, by tomorrow — and we ask that it does exactly that.

Everything has to be done to ensure schools receive the money quickly before they grind to a halt.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich must fast track the transfer of the cash. Schools should be spared this perpetual financial distress, which has become an annual ritual.