Parents angered by levying of extra charges

Parents buy text books at Savanis Book Center along Latema Road, Nairobi, on January 6, 2025. [File, Standard] Parents have expressed disappointment at the additional fees they are being asked to pay to keep their children in school. They argue that institutions have breached ministry directives on fee limits. In some cases, fee structures reveal parents are being asked to pay almost double the recommended amounts. In Kakamega, parents told The Standard that some schools have increased fees by amounts ranging from Sh1,500 to Sh3,500 above the usual rates. Isaac Juma, a parent at Shikoti Mixed Secondary School, said he has yet to enrol his child this term after receiving a fee structure with an additional Sh2,500. "I noticed a slight difference in the fee structure. Last year, I paid Sh14,000 per year, but now I am required to pay Sh16,500. This is burdening parents, and we need the government to intervene and take action against school heads hiking fees beyond the approved limits," Juma said. James Situma, another parent in Kakamega town, claimed that some schools are demanding payments for foodstuffs and motivation fees without issuing receipts. "I was told to pay Sh1,500 for remedial lessons to motivate teachers, even though the government is already paying them. Shockingly, I paid the money into an account but was not issued a receipt," Situma said. He added: "We are also paying additional amounts for Parent Teachers Association (PTA) projects not included in the fee structure. This feels like a scheme by school heads to extract more money from parents." Ream papers Mary Khasoha, another parent, expressed frustration over the cost of ream paper, stating that schools are overcharging parents for this item. "In the past, I bought one ream of paper for the entire year. Now, I'm being asked to buy three reams annually. It makes me wonder what extra work requires these additional reams. It seems like another scheme by school heads to raise fees through unnecessary projects. The government must intervene, or children from poor families will end up receiving substandard education," said Khasoha. In Mombasa, some schools were forced to scrap remedial programmes and suspend infrastructure fees following complaints from a section of parents, allegedly incited by external influences. "The school has tried to streamline its activities by reducing or eradicating the politics fuelled by outside forces. The process of adding any fee or cost must be a consultative one," said a former parent. She added: "Students whose parents willingly embraced remedial education received extra learning hours, which in turn pressured other parents to do the same to ensure their children did not miss out." School administrators, however, claim they are being forced to find alternative funding due to delays in receiving capitation funds, reduced allocations, and the rising cost of living. At the Coast, fee structures from many schools show parents are being asked to pay extra levies ranging from Sh4,000 to Sh15,000 to hire Board of Management (BOM) teachers to address staffing shortages. For example, in Taita Taveta County, Dr Aggrey Boys requires 30 additional teachers, Canon Kituri needs 26, Mwangeka Girls needs 24, St Mary's Boys Lushangonyi requires 18, and Bura Girls needs 22. Bura Girls School Principal Eunice Mwikali Wambua said the school is supposed to have 52 teachers but currently has only 30. It also lacks a laboratory. "The school BOM has employed 18 teachers to bridge the gap, but their salaries are funded by parents, which is sometimes a struggle," she said. Hellen Nyang'au, Kakamega County Education Director, stated that she had not received any complaints but emphasised that school heads must adhere to ministry policies. "Schools must follow the government's guidelines on prescribed fees. Our role is to ensure compliance," she said [Report by Benard Lusigi, Renson Mnyamwezi and Harold Odhiambo]

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