Release fees structure report, parents tell CS Jacob Kaimenyi

Nyanza parents now want Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi to come clean on the task force report on the proposed secondary school fee structure leaked by The Standard yesterday.

The parents have also demanded for faster implementation of the report by the ministry before start of the 2015 academic year to bar head teachers from charging exorbitant school fees.

The Standard on Monday published a leaked report which proposed reduced secondary school fees and burdened the Government by proposing increased government allocation on education docket.

The report indicated that the task force had proposed reduction of maximum fees charged in schools with boarding school fees reduced from Sh99,950 to Sh41,574, day schools reduced from Sh25,374 to Sh13 708 while special schools reduced from Sh44,000 to Sh35,435.

The task force, chaired by former assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria, was formed beginning of the year to review secondary school fees.

HIKED FEES

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Nyanza Parents Association Chairman, Jackson Ogweno, questioned the delay in the report’s release and accused the Education ministry of planning to doctor the report in favour of the Government.

“We were expecting the report to come out one month after commencement of the task force’s work but now five months have gone by and nothing has come out yet,” Ogweno said.

The chairman said the report had captured many parents’ attention since increased school fees have been blamed for reduced rate of primary to secondary school transition.

Ogweno said the benefits of free secondary education are yet to be realised by parents since schools go against the Government’s circular to charge extra fees.

“Parents are being robbed by school heads who use hidden levies. Those who cannot afford are forced to keep their children home,” he said.