How schools are disobeying fees guidelines

Rose Dembah (right), an employee at CopyCate uniform shop in Nakuru, sells school uniform to a parent. [Harun Wathari, Standard]

Schools are still charging parents for items they are not required to pay for following an increase in the Government subsidy.

A review of 2018 fee structures for numerous public secondary schools shows some are still charging medical and insurance fees as well as a charge for teaching, learning materials and exams.

The Government raised the annual subsidy for each pupil from Sh12,870 to Sh22,244 to ensure free day secondary school as it absorbed the Sh9,374 that parents were required to pay.

Due to the increased capitation, parents in boarding national and extra-county schools, some of which levied upwards of Sh100,000, are required to pay a maximum of Sh53,554. Parents with children in other lower schools are to pay Sh40,535.

But while schools have largely complied with the fee guidelines, parents are still being required to part with a fee for medical and insurance, ranging between Sh500 and Sh1,000, yet the Ministry of Education instructed they should not pay for it.

The Government pays Sh1,999 per child, whether in boarding or day schools, and the circular issued on October 19, 2017, by the Ministry of Education on guidelines for the implementation of Free Day Secondary Education indicates nil for parents under the line item.

Alliance Boys High School, Maranda High and Njabini Boys are asking parents to pay Sh1,060 for medical (insurance and property) and a further Sh508 for medical.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the Government would provide insurance cover for all students through NHIF.

Although parents are not supposed to pay for teaching and learning materials for which the Government is paying Sh4,792 per student, some schools have indicated fees for them.

Form One admission letters from Musingu, Naivasha Girls, St Bakhita Gataragwa, Tumutumu Girls, Naro Moru Girls, Othaya Boys and Njabini Boys ask parents to buy Bibles, spring files, mathematical sets, dictionaries, atlases, pens, pencils and Kamusi, among other items.

At Mwituha Secondary School, a day school in Emuhaya, Form One students are required to buy one ream of photocopy papers. Njiiri School also requires students to take to the school three reams of photocopy paper each.

But although the Government circular indicated parents would continue meeting the cost of uniform, some schools have asked for as much as Sh13,000 and tie parents to specific suppliers.

They have given specific names to which parents should write cheques to be given items like uniforms and personal effects.

At Nyeri High School, parents are charged Sh13,470 for school uniforms and additional Sh5,700 for mattress, and bed cover and a jacket. After parents pay Sh53,554, they are referred to the school website where they are confronted with the above figures. It means a parent with a child in the school will pay a total of Sh72,724.

For special schools, parents are supposed to pay Sh10,790 for boarding equipment and fees while the Government pays an extra Sh57,974 which totals to Sh68,764 per student per year.

Previously, the Government capitation per child was Sh12,870 but it was increased by Sh9,374, which means maximum fees payable for boarding schools will be Sh53,000.

The circular shows national and extra-county schools in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret will be covered under this rate. Fees for other boarding schools have been set at Sh40,545.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i directed that Forms Ones will not buy text books.