School heads risk demotion for not obeying fees guidelines

Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang before the National Assembly Education Commitee on supplementary estimates for 2022/2023 financial year. [Silas Otieno, Standard] School heads who ignore government directives on school fees and continue burdening parents will from next week be demoted and their deputies given the responsibilities to run the institutions. Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang said that enough communication on illegal levies has been made with constant reminders, cautioning heads against burdening parents, and noted that the time for the government to act had come. In a tough response to Members of Parliament who had pressed him for answers on why some school heads had continued to ignore ministry directives and circulars, Kipsang said that from next week the administrators will be dealt with decisively. "The Cabinet Secretary (Ezekiel Machogu) has spoken, I have given circulars, field officers, and some of our head teachers have gone rogue. We will deal with them decisively,'' Kipsang said. Kipsang said: "We are going to deal with them decisively. We are going to ensure they do not handle our resources if found culpable. We will rather use their deputies on this matter." Kipsang spoke when he appeared before the National Assembly Education Committee on Friday to answer questions on budget estimates. It, however, emerged that school heads have taken advantage of weak-link between coordination of responsibilities between the teacher's employer and the ministry to lay the burden on parents. The ministry is not mandated in law to punish any teacher as this function rests within the purview of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Even though all children and school property are under the strict management of the Ministry, only TSC can take disciplinary action against any administrators. It emerged, school heads have tapped on this to blatantly ignore ministry directives on fees. Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera sought to know if there was bad blood between the government and the TSC that gives teachers leeway. ''It seems there is a disconnect between the ministry and the school heads. They know after all you cannot punish them at all. How can you give a directive and your junior disobey and go ahead to implement a different idea,'' Nabwera asked. The MPs observed that the heads have always defied the directives not only on the Junior Secondary but also on high school and primary school levies. The chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education Julius Melly wondered why the teachers' employer and the ministry cannot come together for the interest of the learners. ''There seems to be a conflict of interest between the ministry and the TSC that teachers are taking advantage to this extent,'' Melly said. Kipsang said Ministry officials will no longer send reminders or give notice to school heads on school fees or no illegal extra levies. Malava MP Malulu Injendi asked the committee to issue an ultimatum to the government to ensure the culprits are brought to book. ''We have to give the government a timeline to seek out this mess in Junior Secondary once and for all. We need to put the CS and his PS on the task on that as a committee. If their juniors cannot respect them, there is a big problem,'' Injendi said. Pricked by tough questions from the MPs, Kipsang said the time was up for heads who push the government to act. ''As the government, count me on this, when we come across one we will deal with him or her decisively. And since some people are daring the government, you cannot dare the government and expect to walk scot-free. The consequences will be dire,'' Kipsang said. Kipsang noted that the government will engage in a multi-agency approach to deal with the mess. Melly had challenged the PS whether they have been overwhelmed with the blatant total disregard and misbehaviour by the principals. MPs questioned why for example children who were in the same school last year in grade 6 are now required to fork out thousands of shillings within the same school context. ''This is the reason why you cannot account for the thousands of learners who are missing from school. The learners were in Grade Six the other day without paying anything and you now are asking them to pay school fees,'' Melly said. Melly said some schools have gone ahead to issue school fees invoices to learners forcing the majority to stay away from schools. ''Last week when I was in my constituency, I realised some schools had come up with school fee structures for learners in Grade Seven."

School heads risk demotion for not obeying fees guidelines

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