Secondary schools in Siaya County may be forced to close earlier than planned following a biting shortage of operation funds to run the institutions.
According to a principal of one of the leading schools in the county, Barding Boys High school, Godfrey Owori, the government was yet to disburse the free secondary education funds and the schools managers were finding it hard to run the programmes.
Owori who talked to journalists in his institution lamented that the delay to disburse the money, coupled with high fees arrears owed by parents, had negatively impacted on both the academic and other programmes at the school.
“The first term is coming to an end and majority of the schools, Barding included, are yet to receive even a cent of the FSE funds,” he lamented.
Owori said that the 100% transition to form one has made the situation worse as the number of students had increased tremendously.
He said that whereas the student population has increased, not enough has been done to expand resources such as teachers and other academic infrastructure.
The chief principal called for harmonisation of education policies, adding that haphazard release of the same without proper planning and consultation was affecting education quality.
By Philip Onyango.
