Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has challenged parents to play a more active role in strengthening local schools, warning that unequal investment in learners is widening the performance gap between national and community-based institutions.
Speaking during the commissioning of a new dining hall at Friends Moi Kaptama Girls Secondary School in Mt. Elgon, Koskei said many parents prioritise enrolling their top-performing children in prestigious schools, where they diligently pay school fees, while taking less academically gifted learners to local schools and failing to meet their financial obligations there.
"Parents are taking their brightest children to prestigious schools where they pay school fees on time, yet they bring average learners to local schools and expect excellent results without paying fees. We must support our local schools if we want them to excel," Koskei said.
He noted that this pattern has contributed to mounting fee arrears at community-based schools, undermining their operations and frustrating efforts by teachers and administrators to improve academic performance. Koskei maintained that such schools have the capacity to produce excellent results if parents, education stakeholders and leaders work together to provide the resources and support needed for effective teaching and learning.
To cushion vulnerable learners from dropping out over unpaid fees, the Head of Public Service announced a Sh1 million donation to offset fee arrears for needy students at the school, saying no learner should be denied an education because of financial hardship.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa also contributed Sh100,000 towards clearing outstanding fees at the institution, describing education as the most reliable investment in the future of young people and urging parents to complement government efforts by meeting their fee obligations.
School administrators welcomed the donations, saying the financial support would ease pressure on parents, improve student retention and allow the institution to focus more squarely on enhancing academic performance and the quality of learning.
The commissioning of the school's new dining hall marked a significant milestone in its infrastructure development programme. Education stakeholders said the facility is expected to improve students' welfare, create a more conducive learning environment and support the school's broader drive toward academic excellence.
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