Business Daily (Nairobi)
19 March 2008
editorial
News that the government is yet to disburse the free secondary funds to more than 1,300 schools, three months into the new year, can only be disappointing.
It not points to the fact the country has yet to deal with the muddling that has characterised implementation of policies throughout independent Kenya however long the preparation period may be.
It also goes to the very heart of all that is wrong with our public school system, where records are seldom kept or where they exist do not reflect the reality on the ground.
This is the reason that the Ministry of Education has had to contend with basic problems such as getting the right names and bank account for every school that qualifies to benefit from the fund. Though the full impact of this delay in financing such a large number of schools may not be clear at present, it is certainly grievous.
Principals and headteachers who have to live with this situation are certainly a hard pressed lot. They cannot send the students home yet they are expected to keep them in an environment that is conducive to learning.
Ultimately, this chaotic disbursement of funds does tilt the ground steeply in favour of some schools. Since they have all the money they need to acquire learning resources, they are a step ahead of their struggling counterparts.
Yet at the end of the year all candidates will be expected to sit the same exams and compete on an equal footing. Nothing could be more pretentious.
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