School heads have challenged the government to review the funding model of secondary schools to match the changing economic realities.

Speaking on Wednesday during the 46th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Conference in Mombasa,  KESSHA chairman Kahi Indimuli proposed the increment of capitation from the current Sh22,244 to Sh30,000 per student.

He said the increase will help streamline operations in learning institutions, which have been strained by inflation and late disbursement of funds from the government.

The government gives each student in high school Sh22,000  as capitation. The school heads, however, say this allocation is neither paid in full nor on time hence affecting schools’ operation.

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“When capitation is released, and then the parents are told that we have now sent funds to schools and therefore no children should be sent home, it hurts us because how do we feed them? How do we provide water and sanitation? Because once children come to my school, it becomes my responsibility,” Indimuli said.

“I know as a government you have various ways of funding budget deficit and you find ways of borrowing here and there to bridge that gap. As schools, we don’t have the leeway to borrow for our budget deficit.

Indimuli said that schools are owed about Sh8,901 per learner in unremitted capitation funds. He said the only way to recover that amount is by urging parents to pay fees for their children in boarding school.

The education ministry, on the other hand, says all school funding will be better catered for this year, given the huge education fund allocated by the Treasury.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u proposed to the National Assembly to effect the budget allocation of Sh628.6 billion to the education sector to improve educational outcomes.