Ruto warns principals over fees
What you need to know:
- Deputy President William Ruto said they will not sit and watch as parents are exploited and directed boards in public secondary schools to stick to the new fee structure issued by the Ministry of Education.
- The unions argue that the fees guidelines will plunge schools into a management crisis because the money was not enough.
- The maximum amount that parents can be charged was capped at Sh9,374 for day schools, Sh53,553 for boarding schools and Sh37,210 for special needs schools.
Negotiations with teachers were ruled out Wednesday over new school fees guidelines.
Principals were told to adhere to the set figures or “face the consequences.”
Deputy President William Ruto said they will not sit and watch as parents are exploited and directed boards in public secondary schools to stick to the new fee structure issued by the Ministry of Education.
“We have schools that are charging as much as Sh90,000 and others Sh120,000. This has to stop. They are supposed to charge not more than Sh53,000,” said Mr Ruto.
He was speaking at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi during a forum for East African ministers of social development.
The Deputy President said the government will implement the new school fees guidelines to ensure every child gets an education.
“We cannot negotiate with anyone on this issue and we expect school boards to strictly adhere to the guidelines that are set to be gazetted,” he said.
He said the government has expanded access to education with Sh40 billion being used for free primary and subsidised secondary education.
The Deputy President’s remarks come a day after teachers unions — Kenya National Union of Teachers, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers and Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association — raised their reservations over the new guidelines.
MANAGEMENT CRISIS
The unions argue that the fees guidelines will plunge schools into a management crisis because the money was not enough.
Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion wants more teachers employed before the new guidelines are implemented, saying schools spend about Sh2 million to hire teachers annually. According to Dr Kilemi Mwiria’s task force report, such teachers account for 37 per cent of the teaching staff in schools.
Secondary schools heads chairman John Awiti said the guidelines would affect planning and management of schools.
The new structure released by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi last week, indicates that the government will provide Sh12,870 per year per student in regular schools and Sh32,600 for each learner in special needs schools.
The maximum amount that parents can be charged was capped at Sh9,374 for day schools, Sh53,553 for boarding schools and Sh37,210 for special needs schools.
Schools are also required to spread the fees in the ratio of 50:30:20 for the three terms in a year.
After the meeting at the Hilton, Mr Ruto went to Kajiado to drum up support for Jubilee Alliance candidate for the Kajiado Central seat.
However,
