Court suspends charges for online classes at Oshwal Academy

The Mombasa High Court has stopped Oshwal Academy in the county from charging parents full fees for programme that will be conducted via Virtual Learning Education (VLE).

The parents moved to court on Tuesday in protest by the school’s demand that full fees be paid by May 21, 2020, or risk their children being deregistered from the online learning system.

Separately parents of Aga Khan High School and Aga Khan Academy also in Mombasa have questioned the fees charged for online classes through applications Zoom and Microsoft Team.

According to the parents, aside from the exorbitant charges, they claim the applications are prone to infiltration by malicious adult content.

Oshwal Academy, a leading private school follows the British School system.

The school through an email told parents their children will only be admitted upon full payment of fees on or before May 21, 2020, and parents were to be given a conditional a fee rebate of Sh5, 000 to Sh10, 000.

The full fees for the whole term range from Sh48,000 for those in pre-primary school to Sh 186,000 in the thirteenth year plus additional transport charges (Sh 16,500 to Sh22,000), lunch services (Sh16,500 to Sh20,000) per term.

However, on Tuesday Justice P.J. Otieno suspended the current school term that commenced on April 4, 2020, arguing it is not the normal school term government anticipated.

Justice Otieno also stopped the school from broadcasting and conducting the (VLE). The order will remain until the petition by the parents is heard and determined.