Schools levy high fees despite stern orders

It is the same old story replayed but the problem is that it makes parents’ teeth grit and their heads spin.

This year, it has followed the same old script. Standard Eight examination results are released. Managers of public learning institutions raise fees. Parents lament and call for harmonisation and controls. Government responds with a promise this will be done. State officials don’t stop there; they warn ‘errant’ school heads of dire consequences.

Parents queue in a last-minute rush to deposit school fees for their children at the Kenya Commercial Bank in Nakuru Town, yesterday. Parents have called upon the Government to reduce school fees, which they claim has risen sharply. (PHOTO: JOSEPH KIPSANG/ STANDARD)

This time last year Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang did the same; he asked county directors to submit names of principals whose schools had breached the red line on fee ceilings. He promised they would be dealt with.

Nothing happened and parents were left to their own devices.

Yesterday, the PS appeared to have pulled out his old notes from where they had been kept for a year, and the message was exactly the same, perhaps with little variation in phrasing.

The ministry yesterday once again put out circulars warning school heads against violating Government guidelines, which cap fees for boarding schools at Sh53,554, day schools at Sh9,374 and Sh37,210 for special needs schools.

The fee ceilings were supposed to have taken effect on January 5, last year, when schools were required to spread payments over the three terms at the ratio of 50:30:20.

Then, schools slapped parents with fee structures, some in excess of Sh100,000, sparking outrage.

But as is the country's culture, they eventually paid up once the spotlight shifted to other issues.

And the script has played out again this year, with hundreds of schools demanding high fees driven up by all sorts of levies.

Stern warning

Parents have complained, the State has issued a stern warning, but defiant institutions are hoping to ride out the storm.

Soon parents will be on their own, left to struggle to pay up or have their children sent away.

Last February, Deputy President William Ruto warned that the Government would not tolerate schools violating the guidelines.

Then Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi termed the action by school heads to raise fees criminal while Dr Kipsang on February 3 cautioned that inspectors had been dispatched to smoke out rogue schools.

Nothing was ever heard of the issue. Today, most schools sampled have asked parents to pay more, up to Sh100,000.

Yesterday, against the backdrop of rising public pressure, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) directed its members to adhere to the fee guidelines as their representatives meet the PS today over the issue.

Kessha Chairman John Awiti explained that school heads were forced by cash constraints to raise charges.

"What we are saying is that the Government might have failed to factor in the diversity of learning environments that schools are subjected to.

"For example, some schools lack teachers and the boards of management (BoMs) are compelled to employ trained graduates and pay them from the school kitty. This can only come from parents' contributions. The PS has invited us for a meeting tomorrow (today) so that we chart the way forward on school fees," said Mr Awiti.

The fees regulation talk has been one about many circulars, multiple stern warnings but little action as public schools have their way.

Yet another circular was released yesterday by the Ministry of Education ordering an audit of schools charging fees above the gazetted rates.

This happened even after a similar instruction was issued last year and an assurance given to parents that a team had been dispatched to audit and punish rogue heads.

The ministry once again is demanding a list of schools that have flouted the guidelines, complete with fees charged and other levies affixed.

"It has come to the notice of the ministry that some schools have disregarded the fees guidelines and set their own fees structures, hence continuing to burden parents with extra levies," reads the circular dated January 3, 2016.

The circular to all county directors of education and signed by Kipsang makes reference to another circular dated July 27, 2015, which directed them to ensure all schools under their jurisdiction complied with the fees guidelines.

"You are expected to take action on schools charging fees above the recommended amounts and without the approval of the Cabinet secretary," the circular goes on.

Dr Kipsang said even though consultations on the new rates were still ongoing within Government, schools had to enforce circulars already issued that abolished extra fees and other levies driving up the cost of education.

"Our team is doing rounds and individual persons will take responsibility because that is unacceptable," Kipsang said then.

The ministry then headed by Prof Kaimenyi cautioned school heads against unnecessary levies such as equipment and stores fees, salaries, caution money, motivation fees, activity fees, parents and teachers associations (PTAs) fees, school insurance and capacity-building charges.

Another circular released about this time last year called for immediate suspension of all other levies approved by BoMs and PTAs.

"All public schools must adhere to the policy of one project at a time. All non-essential levies such as admission fees, interview fees, security fees, motivational fees or educational improvement fees be banned with immediate effect," read last year's circular.

However, a quick survey across the 2016 school structures sent to parents indicates that the same levies – and even new ones – have been introduced and costs affixed.

Speaking in February last year, Ruto also warned school heads against contravening the fees directive.

He cautioned BoMs and secondary school principals against illegally increasing charges.

"As a Government, we want to lift the burden from the parents. From now on, no public boarding school will charge more than Sh50,000 and day schools Sh9,000," Ruto said on February 20, last year. He was speaking at Thika Girls High School after opening the institution.

"Those who will contravene this order should watch out since we will soon come for you," said the DP, adding that BoMs and school heads must be accountable for the money they receive from the State.

Releasing the fees guidelines last year, Kaimenyi said the new rules would apply to all public secondary schools and ordered that the new directive reaches all principals in public secondary schools by February 24.

And speaking in Kilifi over the weekend, the DP once again warned that stern action would be taken against school heads increasing fees.

"The Government has set aside funds for every child in public schools, thus parents should not be burdened with extra fees," he warned.