Magoha warns school heads against raising school fees

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha yesterday warned secondary school heads against flouting the government's fee guidelines.

He noted some headteachers had increased fees at the expense of parents, a majority who have been hard hit by Covid-19 pandemic.

"There are headteachers who are unlawfully increasing fees. They should stop before we expose and punish them," he said at Embu County Primary School during a tour of learning institutions. He observed that parents were struggling to survive and they could not afford extra learning costs for their children.

He dismissed as untrue claims that the government has not released cash for free education, insisting that Sh14.6 billion has already been dispatched to the learning institutions.

"Those claiming that money has not been released are not being rational," he stated. He revealed that 1.7 million pupils across the country will receive sanitary towels .

Education PS Belio Kipsang also warned schools heads against sending home learners over lack of desks

“We have instructed all our officers to ensure that no child should be sent home. As for day schools, we had said that lunch is optional. They should not introduce any cost that is not indicated in the gazetted school fee guidelines,” Dr Kipsang said in Eldoret on Friday.

Some day schools in the North Rift sent home learners early this week for failure to pay for desks and lunch.

“Schools should leave our learners to continue with their learning activities,” said the PS.

Meanwhile, a move by the 500 Form Four candidates at Chavakali Boys to walk out of the school in protest last term has returned to haunt parents who are now required to clear the Sh4.5 million fee balances before their children cleared to resume learning.

Parents, who spoke in confidence, protested an additional charge of Sh12,000 PTA funds towards the damages caused during the students..

They complained the decision is too harsh on them, further saying the school had not shown them the damages caused by their children.

Additional reporting Derrick Luvega.