Fees uproar as school heads justify added levies

Education CS George Magoha is under pressure to meet parents to address fees standoff. [Fle, Standard]

Parents have protested additional levies charged by schools. Despite calls by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha for institutions to stick to official fees guidelines, parents yesterday said some school heads are still determined to push fees up through additional levies.

And as the fees row rage, pressure is now piling on Prof Magoha to meet parents and schools managers to address the fees standoff pitting parents against teachers.

“Schools have devised ways of increasing fees and they are doing it anyway. A meeting is necessary between ministry and these stakeholders so that the problem is addressed,” said a senior official at the parents’ association office.

Principals who spoke yesterday said the cost of living has gone up yet fees charged in schools have remained constant.

In addition to this, principals said some costs are not covered under the annual capitation to schools and are catered for by schools.

The government increased capitation per child to Sh22,244 per year in all secondary schools.

The amount caters for full fee in day schools, with boarding schools only allowed to charge between Sh40,000 and Sh53,000.

However, a report compiled by National Parents Association chairman Nicholas Maiyo and seen by The Standard reveals that schools charge admission fees and direct parents to specific dealers to purchase needed items.

Secondary school heads now want the Ministry of Education to study a report they handed in last year explaining how they spend over and above capitation caps.

In the report, Kenya Secondary School Heads (Kessha) cited services overlooked by the government, which push up operation costs in schools.

In the 2019 fees hike proposal report by Kessha, the heads said desks and chairs for the increased enrollment are not catered for in the annual disbursements.

The heads also said that making covers and binding of the new textbooks supplied by the government costs about Sh60 each for the 11 course books, translating to Sh660 per student.

Report also reveals that under the repairs and maintenance vote, the government does not fund the cost of fumigation, replacing of windowpanes, kitchen and laboratory repairs, replacement of asbestos roofing, ramps, rails and pavements.

It says the Sh5,846 paid by the government only caters for repair of desks and chairs, renovations and alterations, brooms/drainage rods, costs for plumber, carpenter, masonry and ground maintenance such as fences and hedges.

The report, however, says labour cost for carrying out repair works has substantially gone up in the recent years.

Secondary school heads also say that costs such as leave allowance for non-teaching staff, their medical allowance, commuter and overtime allowance are not covered in capitation disbursements .

The heads claim that the annual pay increment for casual laborers and salaries for teachers contracted by the institution boards are also not catered for under government funding.