Kenya's private schools protest at move to have their candidates pay exam fee

Some 194,000 candidates who will sit next year's national examinations will be locked out of the Government waiver of examination fees.

Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) yesterday accused Ministry of Education officials of discriminating candidates in private schools.

They said utterances by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi and Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang are against the wishes of the President.

"We want the Government to pay examination fees for all candidates who shall sit Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations next year," said KPSA Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndoro.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto have repeatedly said that the Government is committed to paying examination fees for all candidates.

"Where are Prof Kaimenyi and Kipsang getting their facts?" Ndoro asked.

During Mashujaa Day celebrations, Ruto said: "We want all children to sit national examinations without hitches. And this is why we shall make sure that all candidates' examination fees is paid by the Government starting next year."

education capitation

But while releasing 2014 KCPE exams results, Kaimenyi said only learners who receive government free education capitation shall benefit.

"The Government has committed to pay examination fees for candidates sitting for the KCPE and KCSE examinations in public schools that are already accessing Free Primary Education and Free Day Secondary funds with effect from January 2015," said Kaimenyi.

But Ndoro told The Standard that there are 143,000 Class Seven pupils in private schools expected to sit  KCPE next year. Another 51,000 students are in Form Three and are expected to sit the KCSE next year.

"We shall fight this to the end. We cannot allow the ministry officials to divide children based on institutions. There are no private children or public children. They are all children under Jubilee government," said Ndoro.

House Education Committee chairperson Julius Melly and committee member Jacob Macharia yesterday said all children must be catered for.

"Why do they want to discriminate children?" Macharia wondered.

Melly accused Kaimenyi of fronting unpopular policies that will run down the education sector.

Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) chairperson Kabiru Kinyanjui yesterday admitted that identifying beneficiaries of the waiver is a daunting task.

"We ask the ministry to give us the guidelines and also make available the funds in time," he said.

Knec has already asked parents with candidates in Form Four and Class Eight next year not to pay examination fees. A statement from the council says that only private candidates and those from schools that do not receive free education capitation will pay examination fees.

"It is official now that all candidates in public institutions that receive free primary and secondary school funds will not be expected to pay examination fees for the year 2015," the statement partly reads reads.

Kipsang said the cash shall be sent by March next year, adding that each candidate will have a different examination fee depending on the papers they intend to write.

"This will not be a block payment. It shall be paid based on subjects. Each subject has a different cost," he said.

Collect data

County Directors of Education have been instructed to collect data from schools ahead of the roll out. Private schools have also been instructed to forward candidates data to KPSA offices for further action.

"We have directed all private schools to also forward the names of all the candidates to the County Directors and copy to us for follow up," said Ndoro.

Ndoro said the exam fee waiver is not a bursary programme.