Education Cabinet Secretary Magoha warns schools heads over fees
Oliver Musembi
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has warned secondary school heads against sending home students over non-payment of fees.
Noting that the government had already released Sh59.4 billion to secondary schools and Sh15.2 billion to primary schools for the 2020/21 academic year, Magoha said the issue of lack of finances should not arise.
The minister said parents with fees arrears should be given time to pay instead of sending their children home, thus disrupting their learning.
Parents have complained that the two weeks holiday is too short for them to prepare to pay school fees for the coming academic year, given the prevailing harsh economic conditions .
“We have become a country of cry babies because I don’t understand where the issue of school fees crisis is coming from.
Not unless you are a boarder or in private school, the government pays almost all the school fees for the learners,” he said .
He was speaking at Mutomo Primary School in Gatundu South, Kiambu county when he distributed items donated by Ahadi Kenya to help pupils to stay safe from the Covid-19 infections as well as sanitary towels for girls.
The CS said parents have no reason to worry over payment of school fees with learners set to resume on July 26 and August 2 amid a government crash programme occasioned by last year’s long closure of schools.
“I do not know where this noise about a fees crisis is coming from because the government pays most of the monies through the free primary and secondary education programme,” Magoha said.
Crash-programme
Parents have expressed concern over payment of fees as the Education ministry has squeezed nearly eight school terms into two years to recover the lost learning time, but Magoha said the parents have only a negligible amount to chip in which includes accommodation charges and food.
He warned men who have been preying on school girls and impregnating them that they will face the full force of the law and asked victims to report the culprits to the authorities.
“Parents should work with teachers and administration officials to ensure that those pests prying on school girls and ruining their future are arrested and charged in court,” the CS added.
Ahadi Kenya executive director Dr Stanley Kamau said it is unfortunate that a large number of school-going children were not in school yet basic education is free and compulsory.
At the same time, Prof Magoha announced that Mama Ngina University, a constituent college of Kenyatta University situated at Mutomo, will open its doors to the first batch of students in September.
This comes after construction and equipping of the rural based institution which was started in 2016 was completed.
KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina said initially, the university college will admit 90 students from the locality, who will study various disciplines including environmental studies, information science and hospitality.
