Private schools first casualties as exam fee waiver phased out

Education CS Julius Ogamba at Kiirua Technical Training Institute's graduation in Meru. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Private schools will be the first to feel the pinch of the government's plan to end free examination fees, as the National Treasury begins a phased withdrawal of the waiver that has cushioned learners for over a decade.

Beginning next year, parents with children in private schools will be required to foot the bill for national examinations-including the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).