Magoha, stop these corrupt principals

To say that it has been a tough year for parents of students would be a gross understatement. So far, parents have paid school fees four times in a period of 10 months, which is a stretch even for parents who ordinarily do not struggle to pay school fees. 

In a bid to cushion parents from these unusual demands, the Ministry of Education reduced school fees for secondary school students by Sh8,500. 

However, some secondary school principals have completely disregarded the directives of the Ministry of Education and are using dirty tricks to charge extra fees. Using excuses like ‘curriculum development fees’ and ambiguous terms like ‘fee compliment’, corrupt school principals are out to milk dry parents of secondary school students, some of whom lost livelihoods due to the pandemic.

This is not the first time I am writing about corrupt school principals. I have argued before that it makes no sense to emphasize on values of honesty and accountability to high school students if they are learning in toxic and corrupt environments lorded over by rogue school administrators who are a law unto themselves. 

It also makes zero sense for schools to have those annoying ‘This is a corruption-free zone’ signs because it is now common knowledge that secondary schools are the new ‘hotbeds of corruption’ and underhand deals.

One might argue that parents too are to be blamed for this mess. After all, it is parents who pay the ‘curriculum development fees’ and show up with wads of cash to buy their way into a Form One placement.

Rogue principals

However, we must consider that in most cases, parents are forced to comply with these illegal fees for fear that the teachers and rogue principals might take it out on the children whose parents fail to toe the line. And it is a valid concern that we must not ignore. 

If an extra Sh10,000 is what will guarantee peace for their child, then a typical concerned Kenyan parent will find a way to pay. But we must not let unethical school administrators get away with such behaviour. 

We are not only promoting a culture of impunity, we are also making life very difficult for many poor parents who may not afford the extra, illegal fees.

This is why the government and Ministry of Education must do more than complain when their directives are blatantly disregarded by school principals. 

The government must put its foot down and crack down on school administrators who operate independently with little regard for the ministry’s directives and law. This is not just about protecting parents from predatory principals in these tough economic times. It is-most importantly-about safeguarding the education of millions of Kenyan children caught up in a corrupt system that robs them of their education even before they can have a chance to enjoy the learning experience.

The writer is the director, Innovation Centre, at Aga Khan University; [email protected]