Magoha Should Use Tough Measures on Parents - Sossion

An image of Magoha-Sossion
Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha (left) and Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion (right).
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Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General has asked Education CS George Magoha not to relent in his push to have parents pay school fees and offset arrears. 

Sossion, on Tuesday, June 8, argued that the delay by parents to shoulder their responsibility has affected institutions, more so, boarding schools. The Nominated MP called on Magoha to allow school heads to use harsh measures on parents. 

This includes the exclusion of students from class. "The CS's statement is right that some parents are deliberately refusing to pay fees.

"It is the responsibility of principals to oversee schools and they require proper facilitations to avoid getting schools into chaos," Sossion stated in an interview with the People Daily

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Education CS George Magoha addresses the media in Nairobi on Monday, September 21, 2020
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Headteachers lamented that tough government guidelines protected students from being sent home, expulsion, suspension and facing other disciplinary measures. They complained that paying fees was not the only challenge Magoha had to address but also rising disciplinary issues. 

Sossion further urged NGOs, County Development Funds (CDF) and guardians supporting needy students to avail funds earlier. 

He asked Magoha to also ensure that capitation money is released earlier to protect schools from plunging into a crisis for the government. 

National Parents Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo acknowledged Magoha's call to parents on fee payment but asked him to protect them from alleged unscrupulous headteachers who had seized the opportunity to charge them extra funds of up to Ksh12,500. 

"We support Magoha, but we fear his statement will give the schools a licence to send our children home based on these extra charges. 

"I am calling all parents to be conscious about these extra levies and send us the evidence so that we can present them to the Ministry," Maiyo rallied, while addressing journalists in Eldoret.

Magoha, on Monday, June 7, instructed headteachers to use any means necessary to ensure school fees is paid. He noted that some parents from well off families were taking advantage of his earlier directive to school heads to be lenient to parents. 

"Our population is a very interesting one. The majority of the people who are not paying fees can afford to pay. I want to request, on behalf of the government, that the Kenyan parents who are still denying paying the balance of their third term school fees to pay without delay," the CS directed. 

On indiscipline matters in schools, Magoha alluded to re-introducing caning, counselling and posting chaplains to schools to advise students. Learners were also warned that they risk arrest and denial of good conduct certificates.  

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Kenyan school girls at an event in 2018
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