The headmaster wants to raise the cost of secondary school to Sh 8,000, which will anger parents who are already pressured to pay fees four times a year because of a crazy academic schedule.
Last year and this year, the academic calendar included four school terms instead of the usual three, and an increase proposed by principals in a formal appeal to the education ministry to support government-provided subsidies to help parents during Covid. Will almost finish it. 19 outbreaks.
The principal also wants the government to increase FDSE capitation so that liquidity-strapped institutions can be pulled out of heavy debt.
Principals who gathered in Mombasa under the auspices of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kesha) said the additional funds would relieve schools from extreme financial hardship.
The school heads, in a memorandum to the Ministry of Education, suggested that boarding secondary school fees be increased by Sh 8,000 and the government capitation be increased to Sh 30,000 per learner, up from Sh 22,244 currently paid to each learner.
Initiating the price hike proposal, Joash Aloo, Chief Principal of Kabianga Boys High School said that some parents have failed to play their part in fee payment.
“Parents must realize that we do not live in a utopia. Inflation in the country has affected the cost of many commodities including food and the services provided to them if their children are to be put in boarding school. To run the schools effectively, we need more money,” said Dr. Oloo.
Principals who spoke to the nation said the government’s policy of not paying for students above the age of 18 has aggravated the situation.
He said that once a student reaches the age of majority, their identity is erased from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
Mr Indimuli said that there is a lack of scientific laboratories in many educational institutions, especially sub-county and county schools, which has hampered performance.
“In most cases, school heads have to present for national examinations students who do not have prior knowledge of objects in laboratories,” he said.
The principals also urged that the students need to purchase reference material such as Bible, Quran, Maths set, Atlas, Dictionary and Kamusi.
