County directors of education will be punished for allowing public secondary schools to charge fees above the caps set by the government, Education secretary Fred Matiang’i has warned.
The county education heads will be required from January to keep a file of fee structures they have approved for every secondary school within their zones.
Fees for public secondary schools are capped at Sh53,554 for boarding, Sh9,374 (day schools) and Sh37,210 for special needs schools.
But the schools have been charging nearly Sh100,000, sparking an uproar from parents who also have to buy books and uniforms.
“The county director of education is the person on the ground, meaning he takes responsibility for school fees increase. We are requiring them (ECDs) as from January 2017 to keep a file of the fee guidelines used in each secondary school within their counties,” Dr Matiang’i told Parliament on Thursday.
He said the directive will ensure schools comply with the fee ceiling guidelines by having all fee structures reviewed before approval and use by the secondary schools.
In January, a number of schools increased fees by nearly Sh50,000 above the set Sh53, 554 by introducing extra levies.
Mang’u High School ‘s annual fee was Sh98,000 this year, Nairobi School (Sh90,000) while Karima Girls in North Kinangop asked parents for Sh88,600.
Meru School charges Sh92,000, Singore Girls (Sh80,000), Buru Buru Girls is Sh91,933, and Kisumu Girls Sh91,000.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
