The government has been urged to consider disbursing funds meant to support free primary education in time to avoid stalemate faced by schools during a financial year.
In a statement targeting the incoming cabinet Secretary for Education, Dr Fred Matiang’i, school heads from Gesima were unanimous that the occasional delay hindered quality of education in institutions and called the ministry to put structures that could combat the vice.
They said many schools had previously struggled to run fundamental functions due to financial crisis, leading to deterioration of performance in national exams.
“The Education ministry has not done very well in the past and this is the opportune time for them to put mechanisms that will enhance early disbursement of funds meant for free education to our schools,” said KEPSHA Gesima chair Charles Bosire on Thursday during an annual meeting of the administrators.
Bosire said maintained that the ministry was to blame for the stalemate and challenged the new leadership to address the matter urgently ahead of school opening in January 2016.
“We have seen schools struggling financially and this isn’t the first time we are raising the issue. It’s now time for us to see changes in the ministry. Many activities get affected when there is a delay and this leads to subsequent poor performances in national exams in our region,” he added.
They endorsed the appointment of Dr Matiangi by terming it ‘a new dawn’ to the Ministry of Education.
“I have no absolute words to describe his appointment but it’s a new dawn for education sector perhaps his resilience in working will fix a lot of things that were not being done properly,” added treasurer Mrs Josephine Nyangena.