In Education financing, one of the most pressing challenges is the existence of funding gaps and inequalities. Secondary schools in Kenya are entering a tumultuous phase of dwindling fortunes in 2025 following the government’s decision to domicile grade 9 in primary schools, now christened “ Comprehensive Schools.” This is coming hot on the heels of public universities’ financial turmoil that has crippled operations and almost brought some of these public institutions to disrepute and a near halt.
The secondary education sector is no doubt a large consumer of the education budget in the national cake. However, the current funding model in place based on enrolment only has failed to ensure equity, and has rendered some institutions technically insolvent and condemned them to run on perpetual debt.
Principals, especially those of rural day schools and boarding schools with low enrolment are never short of disconcerting and mind-boggling narrations of the challenges they have to undergo to keep these institutions afloat amidst low funding and the gross inadequacy of teaching staff.
The year 2025 is definitely going to open another Pandora’s box as far as education financing is concerned. The absence of the form one class is going to significantly reduce enrolment across secondary schools, and thus their government capitation and collections from parents and sponsors too are going to considerably reduce. Despite this envisaged reduction in funds, some running costs will remain constant like electricity, staff wages and salaries, administrative costs and co-curricular activity costs. This is going to hit hard on all schools, especially the “small” schools whose funds will have greatly diminished.
The net effect will lower the quality of education offered and make running schools a daunting feat to accomplish. The obvious consequences foreseeable include inability to provide the necessary teaching and learning resources that compromise quality in smaller institutions, delays or non-payment of staff salaries which affects their morale and general dilapidation of facilities in schools.
Mass exodus of learners also is likely to be witnessed as parents will choose to take their children to more endowed schools from those that are not, which may further aggravate the situation in less endowed schools.
These realities, coupled with the ever-increasing number of needy students who rarely pay fees, delayed disbursements by the exchequer, and high inflation that has occasioned a sharp rise in prices of food, teaching and learning materials, and other utility supplies like fuel and electricity will exert more pressure on schools leading to a depressed environment, staff layoffs, piling up of debts and volatility within and outside school communities.
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Although school administrators may have limited options to navigate these arduous challenges, budget management techniques will come in handy. This will include prioritizing spending, regular review and assessment of expenditure, seeking cost-effective alternatives and encouraging partnerships with sponsors and communities. Other inevitable but unpopular options are staff rationalization for BOM teachers and support staff, suspension of some regular calendar activities like some sports disciplines, staff tours and changes on the menu due to diminished fortunes.
Clearly, a storm has gathered on sight. It behoves education stakeholders, especially the government, to adopt a proactive approach early enough to mitigate potential emerging issues that may erode the quality, access and gains made in public secondary education. Notwithstanding, it is also time the country reflects on the funding model for secondary education and possibly introduce affirmative action to safeguard some institutions that despite low enrolment, remain the lifeline for local communities in their quest for affordable and accessible secondary education in their localities.
By Festus Bett
A high school teacher based in the South -Rift
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