HEAD TEACHERS WARNED AGAINST CHARGING EXTRA LEVIES THAT ARE NOT APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES

Kenya secondary schools heads association officials will tomorrow 5^th meet the cabinet secretary in charge of education Fred Matiang’i for a consultative meeting over the controversy emerging from school fees being charged by a section of public schools.

As schools reopen, parents and a section of education stake holders have raised concerns over exorbitant fees being charged by a number of schools in total disregard of the government fees guidelines that were gazette last year.

Speaking in Kisumu today, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman John Awiti cautioned head teachers who have gone against the stipulated guidelines saying that their actions amounts to criminal offence.

“I acknowledge that a number of aspects were not put into consideration when the new guidelines were issued by the government but that does not give our members the right to go contrary to the law” said Awiti.

Awiti said the consultative meeting scheduled for tomorrow is aimed at addressing these anomalies but in the mean time schools, must respect the law since the ministry of education would want all schools to abide by the new fees guidelines.

He however expressed dissatisfaction in the manner in which the ministry of education carried out the review on the fees saying that some of the important aspects were not captured.

“The fees guidelines left out a key component of our involvement as schools in infrastructure development, there are projects some of our schools were carrying out before the fees guidelines came into effect and they were not captured in the new fees guideline” lamented Awiti 

   

He said a number of schools are experiencing a shortage of teachers thus have sourced for teachers paid by the boards yet all these were not considered while reviewing the fees structure for public schools.

 While expressing optimism that the meeting will come up with a favorable decision on this pressing matter he did not fail to point out that the guidelines failed to factor in lunch programs for the day schools, which has partly contributed to the public outcry.

ENDS.