THE DIRETIVE TO PRINCIPALS TO RELEASE CERTIFICATES HAS CAUSED A HEATED DEBATE

File: Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion addressing press conference in his office.

(THIS POST WAS WRITTEN ON WEDNESDAY,23TH JULY 2014)

DIRECTIVE TO PRINCIPALS TO RELEASE THE CERTIFICATES HAS GENERATED A HEATED DEBATE

It is barely two weeks since the government gave the directive to secondary school principals to release form four certificates to students withheld over fee balances and the directive has rekindled a heated exchanges between the government and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut).
The Knut is demanding a dialogue before the move is implemented. It has urged the government to stop the directive and resort to negotiation with them first so that the school administration can avoid difficulties in catering for students who are in schools.
The union said that there are over 14 billion shillings fees arrears in all secondary schools in the country.
The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Act of 2012 is categorical in the issue of certificates and diplomas to students who sat for exams. According to the Act, it is clear that no person or institution is allowed to withhold those testimonials.
Speaking yesterday 9p.m in the Opinion Court discussion at Citizen Television, the Secretary General of Knut, Wilson Sossion, said they were not consulted before the directive was given out.
“Were were not involved in the directive and that is why we are calling upon the government to have dialogue with us,” Sossion said.
He, however, confirmed that they are not opposed to the move.
The Knut Secretary said the students have not gone for the certificates in their respective schools and the principals have certificates dating back to 1980s in their offices.
Director of Elimu Yetu Coalition, Janet Muthoni, was also present in the discussion and she accused the ministry of Education, Science and Technology for not implementing the Knec Act of 2012 until the Deputy President intervened. She also criticized the situation where the principals withhold the certificate of a child who owe the school as much as 300000 shillings.
Prof Edward Kisiangani, political analyst, was also present in the discussion and he said the schools belong to the government and it is responsible in funding them. He further said the government wants to tackle the corruption issues which exist in schools since the principals are adding other expenditures in the school fees structures.
“There are Levis which are not accounted for and fair audit should be carried out so that such corruptions are eliminated,” he said.
He also said the government needs a proposal it can use in order to gap such misuse of funds in the public schools. He said the principals are using a lot of money in attending meetings in prohibitive places and that is why the government is hard on them to release the certificates.
The Knut Secretary General denied those allegations saying the principals normally have their salaries deducted every month to be used in such meetings, but Kisiangani said he had seen a letter given to a principal of a certain school inviting him to attend the meeting at an the school expense. He said the letter told the principal to ask the school POG to pay for him to attend the meeting. He further said the principals should release the certificates then talk with government.
Wilson Sossion said there is no free primary school in Kenya and what exists is cost sharing.
Janet Muthoni accused the government for reluctantly discussing the school fees issues and the schools are in financial crisis. She said the principals need to be supported and all the stakeholders concern should not politicize the issue. She, however, said she admired the government for giving such a directive since the students from less-endowed families will have an opportunity to further their education after receiving their certificates.
Sossion said some schools have broken to August holiday immaturely and some leaving their mock exams incomplete due to lack of funds to buy laboratory chemicals for science subjects. He said the government has not wired the money for second term and that has affected learning in schools. He confirmed that they have written a letter to the ministry and if it will not respond then they will take the next step.
“We have communicated with the government through a letter and we expect the feedback from them. If there will be no respond then we shall take the next step,” he said.
The Secretary General said the government taught the parents a bad lesson since they will be reluctant to pay the schools especially at the last term of the forth class in secondary school. He said the directive will demoralize the work of the principals.