By Fredrick Odiero
The Ministry of Education has launched a direct line to report school heads charging extra levies above the amounts stipulated by the Ministry days before schools reopen for third term.
According to a circular seen by Education News and signed by Mr Paul Kibet on behalf of the Principal Secretary, the Ministry says it has received numerous complaints from parents, sponsors and the general public regarding schools charging illegal levies even after it issued new guidelines on fees payable by parents on 16th June.
The circular which was copied to all regional and county directors further directed all county and sub county directors to report to the Principal Secretary any Board of Management whose institution shall still charge the illegal levies with immediate effect.
Parents and directors shall report via the email address: directorsecondary2018@gmail.com for compiling and further processing.
Furthermore, it instructed that any public school which wishes to increase fees to make a formal written request to the Cabinet Secretary and that any fees paid earlier must be refunded or be treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students.
Thus no school shall charge extra levies unless with written authorization from the Cabinet Secretary.
While instructing school heads against flouting sections 44, 45 and 46 of the Basic Education Regulations of 2015, the circular instructed that provision of lunch be optional and if otherwise be reasonable in consideration with the reduced academic year.
