Day school scholarships lead to sharp decline in enrollment in Tana River boarding schools

The mass transfer of students from boarding schools to Day Schools has been a massive blow to institutions like Galole Model Secondary School.

Galole Model Secondary School, once a thriving educational institution in Tana River County, is now on the brink of closure, grappling with an unprecedented drop in student enrollment.

The school, which once boasted over 500 students, now has a mere 72 students enrolled, a staggering decline that has left educators and parents alike questioning the future of the school.

Located in the heart of Tana River County, Galole Model Secondary has long been a beacon of hope for many students, offering a safe environment for learning and a chance for children from both urban and rural backgrounds to receive quality education.

However, the school's enrollment numbers have plummeted in recent months, and its fate now hangs in the balance.

According to the school's Deputy Principal Farhiya Mutegi, the sharp decline in student numbers is not an isolated occurrence but rather a consequence of a series of events that have unfolded over the past year.

The Deputy Principal attributes the mass exodus of students to a controversial campaign spearheaded by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Galole Constituency.

"The MP, in a move that has sparked both praise and criticism, campaigned vigorously against boarding schools, urging parents to transfer their children to Day Schools," she said.

As part of the campaign, the MP promised full school fees for families who heeded the call to move their children to local Day Schools, a promise that many parents found difficult to ignore.

She notes the MP's campaign gained traction through frequent broadcasts on local radio stations, further fueling the movement.

“It was a campaign that resonated with many parents,” said the Deputy Principal, adding, “Parents were enticed with the promise of free education and the prospect of having their children attend schools closer to home. What they didn’t fully understand, however, was the long-term impact this would have on schools like ours.”

Mutegi explained that the transfer process was done without following the proper procedures outlined by the Ministry of Education.

The result? Schools like Galole were left grappling with significant financial burdens due to unpaid school fees and an inability to maintain their educational standards.

"We are now struggling with huge debts. The transfers were done so hastily, without considering the financial implications for schools like ours. We owe suppliers more than three million shillings in arrears. Some parents never paid fees arrears for their children after moving them out of boarding schools,” she noted.

Sharp decline

Other Topics To Read

• Coast
• Tana River County
• school dropout
• kwale school dropouts
• boarding schools
• day schools
• primary boarding schools
• Day school scholarships lead to sharp decline in enrollment in Tana River boarding schools
• Headlines

The impact has been felt beyond Galole Model Secondary. Other schools in the region have also seen a sharp decline in their student populations.

Hola Boys High School, a once-popular National School, has seen its enrollment fall from over 700 students to fewer than 300.

Similarly, Mau Mau Girls Memorial School, another key secondary school in Tana River, lost more than 200 students to local Day Schools.

“The situation has been devastating,” said a teacher from Hola Boys High School who spoke on condition of anonymity stating, “We have been left with a skeleton crew of students, and our resources are stretched thin. The influx of students to Day Schools has left us with a situation we were not prepared for.”

In April 2023, Galole MP Said Hiribae addressed concerns regarding bursary fund adjustments and school fee payments, urging parents to adapt to the government's new framework.

“Parents, as you are aware, the bursary funds have undergone some changes following a court ruling,” said Hiribae. “The budget we had initially planned to cover students’ fees at 100% transaction is no longer feasible under the new government framework.”

He explained that the government has prioritised the upgrading of certain schools, and his office has already commenced the construction of laboratory facilities in newly established schools.

“I have started building school laboratories in all new schools, including Lulu, Daku, Msabubu, Wachakone, Chanani, Rafiki, Majengo, Ndura, and Fanjua,” he stated.

Hiribae further noted that the government has mandated the construction of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), with nearly 40 schools in the constituency set to be built.

“In line with this plan, I will allocate Sh15,000 per student,” he said. “If a parent cannot afford to send their child to a boarding school, they should consider transferring them to a day school to avoid financial strain and ensure uninterrupted learning.”

He reassured parents that the amount provided would be sufficient to cover a child’s education in a day school.

“I want parents to understand that Sh15,000 will fully cater for a day school student without any outstanding fee arrears,” he emphasised.

Hiribae also addressed complaints from parents about exorbitant school fees, particularly cases where students in day schools were being charged beyond what the bursary covered.

“I have received several letters from parents raising concerns about students being asked to pay over Sh90,000 in school fees,” he revealed. “I have already started investigating where these debts are coming from, especially for students in day schools, where I am responsible for covering the fees.”

While the MP's initiative was aimed at making education more accessible for families by encouraging day schools, the consequences for boarding schools have been far-reaching.

Schools are now scrambling to recover from the financial fallout of this large-scale migration.

Parents, too, have mixed feelings about the change. While some argue that the move to day schools has allowed them to save on the high costs associated with boarding schools, others have expressed concerns about the quality of education their children are receiving.

“We were promised that our children would still receive a good education at Day Schools,” said one parent whose child was transferred from Galole Model Secondary School. “But now I’m hearing stories that the schools are overcrowded, and the quality of teaching has dropped. It is very worrying.”

With enrollment numbers at an all-time low, the Civil Society Group is calling for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Education and local authorities to address the financial crisis that is threatening to shut down the institutions.

John Dhadho, the Chairperson Civil Society Network suggests that the collapse of once prominent schools is imminent, hence the need to rally parents, community and leaders to act rationally to save the situation.

“We want to continue serving the children of Tana River. But there must be political goodwill that can spearhead progress that will ensure we don't depopulate important schools but rather populate them to serve the purpose they were meant for. If we don’t act now, we might lose these schools for good,” he said.