Parents and leaders in Juja Sub County have called on school principals to exercise patience and refrain from sending learners home over unpaid school fees as they await the government to release National Government -Constituency Development Fund bursaries allocations.
Speaking during a bursary form-filling exercise at Gachororo Primary School Tuesday, Juja MP George Koimburi highlighted the growing financial struggles faced by many families in his constituency adding that sending learners home would lead to more desperation among parents.
Koimburi urged schools to prioritize keeping children in class to safeguard their future assuring that NG/CDF would be disbursement soon.
This comes as thousands of parents thronged the school during a bursary filling exercise in a desperate attempt to secure funding for their children’s education.
The Juja legislature termed the situation dire, saying most parents were financially deprived due to the harsh economic times coupled with low harvests from the farms.
He noted that the number of needy families seeking bursaries in his constituency had doubled in recent years due to poverty and population growth in the face of insufficient funds allocated to the kitty.
“The situation is dire. Parents are struggling to pay school fees, and the little we allocate for bursaries is no longer sufficient. I urge head teachers and principals to exercise patience and keep the children in school as we wait for the government to release the NG/CDF funds,” said Koimburi.
He emphasized the risks of sending children home, warning that such actions expose them to vices such as drug abuse and crime.
At the same time, the MP appealed to the national government to increase NG/ CDF allocation, citing the rising cost of education and the growing number of students in need of financial assistance.
“Bursary demand among needy learners in Juja is so high that we get overwhelmed. The little allocation we give the student is also not enough to foot their demands. We emphasize with the parents,” said Koimburi.
Kiambu nominated MCA Jane Wambui, called on teachers to show compassion and understanding toward struggling parents.
“We understand the challenges schools face, but I appeal to principals and teachers to accommodate the students as we work on securing the funds adding that sending them home would only worsen the situation,” she said.
Parents, led by Rhoda Wanjiru, a mother of three, expressed her frustration, saying her children were frequently sent home due to unpaid school fees.
“Many children, especially those in Form Four, are still at home because they were sent away when schools opened. This disrupts their studies and jeopardizes their future,” Wanjiru said.
By Muoki Charles