It has now emerged that principals in different schools across the country have devised clever ways to increase fees after the government issued a standard package that parents are supposed to pay.
In March 2015, the government came up with some regulations that were gazetted which set the boarding school fees at Sh53,554 per year, day schools at Sh9,374 per year and Sh37,210 annually for special schools.
Education Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang'i announced that all school principals should follow the guidelines or face consequences.
However, it now appears the heads of schools have defied the orders and devised ways to increase fees adding more burden to parents, the Standard reports. Here are some of the tricks being used to swindle parents of their money:
1. Some schools have been publishing fees structure for one term as opposed to the whole year, which is the requirement by the government.
This makes it easier for the school heads to increase fees for the other two terms without parents noticing.
An example is Nakuru Girls High School where they issued fee guideline for First Term only: Form Two students will pay Sh36,700, Form Three students to pay Sh42,800, and Form Four will pay Sh36,700 making it difficult for parents to know the extra amount that will be added for the other terms.
2. Other schools publish the recommended fee as required by the government but issue separate document with additional money the parents are supposed to cater for.
An example is St Georges Girls Secondary School in Nairobi where their fees indicates that they will pay Sh53,554 in 2017 but the total becomes Sh77,138 after additional levies.
3. Some schools still demand money for mock examinations despite the government having banned the exams.
Matutu Adventist Secondary School is on the spot after demanding Sh8,000 for KCSE examination fees, which the government has already scrapped.
4. Other schools have been demanding parents to pay for school activities, lunch levies and school uniforms which were outlawed by the government.
Education CS had warned parents to be aware of principals who were looking to extort money after the government set the standard payment.
“Parents are therefore advised to only pay the amount in the Gazette notice and report incidents of any students turned away for not paying fees to their respective County Directors of Education,” Matiang’i said when he warned school principals.
