The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has urged the Ministry of Education to raise the school fees that were lowered during the pandemic.
KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori noted that some boarding schools are presently having difficulty coping with the challenging economic circumstances.
“Prices of cereals, other foodstuffs and essentials like cooking oil have more than doubled over the last years alone,” Missouri said.
Extra-County and County schools now charge Sh5,500 less for tuition, while National Schools charge Sh8,500.
According to the order, National Schools would be paying Sh45,054 while Extra County and County Schools would be paying Sh35,035.
Misori observed that even boarding school management is being impacted by the rising cost of goods.
“In light of current economic conditions, the government must urgently provide new guidelines on school fees to avoid any misunderstanding between stakeholders in education,” he added.
In particular, boarding schools that are required to provide housing and meals in schools echoed his pleading for the government to intervene and save them.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha lowered secondary school costs claiming that his ministry developed a new academic calendar that reduced the number of weeks in a semester from 39 to 30.
Magoha said that parents were dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak which had a negative impact on their livelihoods.
Employees were laid off or had their pay reduced.
The new fee structure was implemented beginning July 26, 2021, and was to last until March 4, 2022, according to a circular addressed to all school heads through Education Principal secretary Juma Jwan on June 16.
Magoha instructed school heads not to send home students who have arrears.
He stated that the capitation money would be given out by the end of the week.
“Let me not hear that you have sent a child from a Kenyan school to go back to do nothing. That will not be acceptable,” he said.