School on the spot over illegal tuition and examination fees

Chepkongony primary school board chairman Mr Joshua Kamau [Photo: Kipsang Joseph, Standard].

A school in Londiani, Kericho County is on the spot for demanding tuition and examination fees from parents.

According to the parents, Chepkongony Primary School administration has been demanding Sh1,970 for tuition annually and Sh40 for every school based examinations.

Students who do not submit these fees are confined in isolated rooms.

John Karuku, a parent, had paid examination fees for his three children but could not raise the tuition fees. His children were not allowed to sit the examinations.

“My children came back home crying. They said they had spent the whole day in an isolated room as the rest were doing their examinations. I paid for the examinations but not the tuition fees,” said Mr Karuku.

James Mwangi, another parent, said he unsuccessfully pleaded with the school to allow his two children to sit the examinations as he sought the money.

“My children are traumatised. They were put in a room with no seats the whole day as their peers sat the examinations. They refused to report to school on the third day because of what they had been subjected to,” said Mr Mwangi.

Sources at the school said more than 20 pupils were sent home after the school administration got wind that the matter had caused a public outcry.

When questioned on the legality of the fees, the school headteacher William Kirui defended himself, saying the decision was made during a parents’ meeting.

“I was kicked out of the meeting by board members who said we were not doing enough to improve the performance of the school. I was later handed minutes indicating the resolutions made,” he said.