Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, is on the spot over illegal fees levied by school heads across the country.
Magoha, who is set to appear before the National Assembly Committee on Education, is facing an uphill task to explain why some learning institutions are demanding exorbitant fees from parents.
The CS will be tasked to explain how principals manipulate and charge extra fees outside the Ministry of Education’s guidelines as well as the measures he will implement in order to curb the vice.
Education CS George Magoha conversing with 2020 KCPE Candidates.TWITTER
According to the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, Florence Mutua, parents are burdened by being asked to pay the hidden charges through unofficial accounts that are not used in schools.
Parents have decried the move insisting that the charges were not in the official calling letter sent by the schools at the beginning of the term.
“We will look into it because we only have one place, the Ministry of Education, where instructions on school fees come from. If there are schools setting internal fees without the approval of the Ministry, then it is illegal,” Mutua stated.
The Ministry, on Monday, August 9, released a statement to all regional and county directors of education condemning the vice.
“The Ministry has received numerous complaints from parents, sponsors of needy students, and the general public regarding schools charging illegal levies,” read the Ministry’s statement in part.
“It is noted that schools recover these levies upfront before crediting money paid as fees into the students’ fees accounts. This makes students have false fees arrears leading to them being sent home.”
The Ministry added that charging extra fees contravenes the Basic Education Regulations 2015, Section 44 which reads: “No public school or institution shall issue alternative fees structures other than those approved by the Cabinet Secretary.”
The Ministry noted that sanctions would be imposed on any regional or county education director who did not report a school, within its region, charging extra fees.
“Any school that desires to charge amounts above the stipulated fees must make a formal request to the Cabinet Secretary and will only charge after written authorization has been granted.”
The statement further emphasized that no student ought to be sent home over non-payment of such fees. It added that any fees collected above the revised guidelines would be refunded or treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students
