National Parents' Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo is set to convene a meeting to discuss a raft of measures to cushion parents from what they consider as high fees ahead of the January 2021 school reopening.
Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha on Monday, November 16 announced the full resumption of learning in January 2021 in a crash programme that will see learners cover four terms in a year.
Parents are set to feel the financial pinch of catering for school fees for four terms contrary to the three they are used to paying for annually.
Maiyo admitted that most parents around the country have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the association is set to petition a bailout plan to ensure all learners resume learning.
"All the chairs (of the association) from all the counties will meet in Naivasha next week to come up with proposals that we shall put forward to the Government," he noted.
The association is set to discuss a stimulus package for the government to cushion parents by increasing the capitation for learners in primary schools from Ksh 1,420 to Ksh 2,420 and raising secondary school's capitation by Ksh 5,000.
Maiyo also wanted parents to be given a two month grace period to clear school fees balances after the resumption of learning in January.
Parents are also set to incur extra costs in buying school uniforms, stationery, masks and sanitisers when students fully resume learning in January.
Parents with children in private schools face more challenges as the institutions set their own fee structures without any government intervention.
The costs of complying with most of the Covid-19 health protocols announced by the Ministry of Education have been also been pushed to the parents.
"Participants may have to come up with additional finances, staff (teaching and non-teaching staff), learning rooms, ICT infrastructure, sustainable supply of running water and sanitizer and sanitising facilities," reads part of the module by the Ministry.
With the 2021 school terms set to be shortened to accommodate the lost 2020 school calendar, parents are asking learning institutions to reduce fees.
