Transport chaos and high fees mark school reopening
What you need to know:
- Institutions that performed well in KCPE record an influx of pupils as repeaters are turned away
Parents on Tuesday woke up to the shocking news of increased school fees and book prices as schools across the country re-open this week.
Long queues were witnessed in banking halls, bookshops and outlets selling school uniforms as parents scrambled to pay school fees and purchase uniforms and books for children returning to school after the long December holidays.
Parents also had to contend with a sharp rise in fares as public service vehicles took advantage of the mad rush to schools to hike fares to various destinations, leaving thousands stranded at various bus stations across the country.
Most schools however reported high attendance even though little learning took place as school authorities spent the better part of the day sorting out logistics such as registering new students.
Term dates
School administrators complained about the delay by the Ministry of Education to release a circular indicating the new term dates making it difficult for them to plan effectively.
The circular, expected to be sent to schools by January 13, will extend the first term by two extra weeks and reduce the April holidays from the traditional four weeks to two.
Parents with children in academies and secondary schools complained about the high cost of uniforms and stationary, with some advocating for alternative methods of fees payment.
“Schools should introduce a system where parents can pay fee using cereals and cattle,” said the Kenya Association of Parents secretary general Musau Ndunda.
As expected, primary schools that registered good results in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination were overwhelmed with a huge number of new pupils seeking admissions.
Another shocker awaited parents who wanted their children to repeat Standard Eight after posting poor results in last year’s KCPE examination. Many were turned away by head teachers implementing a government directive to bar repeaters.
There were also chaotic scenes at various bus stops across the country as matatu operators doubled their fares to cash in on the back-to-school rush.
Fares on most routes in Western Kenya and North Rift had doubled due to the high number of passengers. Travellers heading to Eldoret had to part with Sh600, up from the usual Sh300 while those going to Nakuru had to part with Sh700 as opposed to the normal Sh350.
“We normally pay Sh80 from Webuye to Bungoma but today we are paying Sh200,” complained Mr Wafula Wandati, a parent who had taken more than five hours to get a matatu.
A matatu operator Mr Fred Kimani said the rising cost of fuel and high demand for transport had made him increase fares.
“This is the only time of the year when we get to make money. We have all agreed that fares will remain high throughout this week,” he said.
In Kisumu, parents seeking to have their children enrolled in Standard One were shocked after they were asked to part with a Sh15,000 admission fee.
“We took our children for interviews at the Xaverian Primary School on November 12 last year, where more than 490 parents turned up,” Ms Millicent Anyango, a parent, said. “Those whose children passed the interview are now being asked to pay Sh15,000 or forfeit the chances,” she added.
When contacted, the head teacher of Xaverian Primary School, Ms Joan Odera declined to comment and instead referred the Nation to the Municipal Education officer, Ms Naomi Odawo who promised to investigate the claims.
She however maintained that any extra fee levied by public schools will go towards catering for the purchase of desks and other things.
“The government does not give enough money to public schools yet they have to pay for water, electricity and other needs,” she added.
There was a huge turnout at Amani and Ganjoni Primary Schools in Mombasa County on the first day of learning as parents jostled to enrol their children in both schools due to their impressive results in last year’s KCPE examination.
Reports by Ronnel Onchagwa, Erick Ngobilo, Stella Cherono, Wycliffe Kipsang, Antony Kitimo and Benson Amadala.
