Parents at Kamandura primary school, Kiambu County are appealing help from the government after their children were sent home over exam fees.
According to one of the parents, the exam fees for Grade 1- Grade 3 cost Ksh270 and from Grade 4 to Grade 8 is Ksh370.
They decried the situation adding that they didn't expect the school to send the children home over fees.
"I plan to go to the school to plead with the headteacher to allow my child to resume back to class," one parent stated.
The parents attributed tough economic times brought about by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic to their dire situation.
"In most cases, we are unable to raise the funds for our children since the little cash we get caters for their basic needs," one parent noted.
They wondered why the school would resort to such measures, defying the directive from the Ministry of Education.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha had insisted that learners should not be sent back home for not paying school fees.
"We expect our parents to struggle when we open in January to pay fees for the second term, there is no argument there.
“I would like to very firmly plead with our teachers that they have no permission from anybody to send a child home because of school fees,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta reiterated the same while speaking to a local vernacular station on Monday, January 18.
"Let me be clear, no child should be sent away from school because of school fees," Kenyatta ordered.
He further stated that action would be taken against headteachers who defied the directive.
Parents and learners have felt the pinch of the Covid-19 pandemic as thousands of Kenyans lost their jobs during the period.
This has led to parents struggling to make ends meet while also fending for their families.
