Editorial Team
It is inevitable that Kenyan’s learning institutions are a reflection of the larger society. It doesn’t come as a surprise, therefore, that like other public and private entities, our schools have been penetrated by the bug of corruption.
So much so, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belion Kipsang recently ordered a fresh audit of how public school administrations utilise the Sh173 billion they receive from parents and the government every year.
According the PS, parents collectively pay Sh100 billion in fees while the government tops up the amount with Sh73 billion in tuition fees for free primary and day secondary education.
The amount is an indication that education is very high up on parents’ and the State’s shopping list. What is disturbing, however, is that not all this money serves the purpose it is meant to.
There are genuine concerns that quite a chunk of it finds its way into people’s pockets through theft of various shades. It is this pilferage that Belio’s audit order is expected to expose, punish and stop.
Such an audit would also streamline the management of learning institutions by ensuring that only people of impeccable character are allowed to head schools or sit on boards of management.
The truth is that most of the corruption cases that take place in schools succeed because of the collusion of headteachers and boards.
An audit would also reduce the burden on parents and the taxpayers. In a situation where a sizeable amount of school resources is stolen, the administration will be eager to hike fees to make up for the losses.
The widespread practice of schools inflating the number of students to benefit from more capitation from the government also means the taxpayer ends up paying more than is justified.
While at the audit, the government should also seek to put a stop to the other sneaky tactics that school administrations use to fleece parents. They include remedial classes charges, the so-called teacher-motivation fees, infrastructure development fees and frivolous educational trips.
This is one area where the parents should play their role fully by exposing the mostly hush-hush tactics, often presented as policies aimed at improving the welfare and academic prospects of the learners.
As it is acknowledged by all well-meaning Kenyans, corruption is at the core of our economic and social woes. For things to change for the better, the vice must be fought both at the top all the way to the bottom, where schools and other social institutions lie.
