By Education News Reporter
The government through the Ministry of Education has now ordered all Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs) to visit all schools in their jurisdictions in a move aimed at curbing schools from charging parents extra levies.
In a circular dated February 8, 2023 the Principal Secretary in the State Department of Basic Education Dr. Belio Kipsang has directed all Regional and County Directors of Education to ensure they file their reports over the same by Close of Business today – February 10, 2023.
“You are directed to ensure that no public school charges unauthorized levies such as admission fees, desks and lunch unless the school has previous authorized lunch programme for the whole school,” said Dr. Kipsang in the Circular.
“Sub-County Directors of Education have been instructed to visit all the schools in their jurisdiction to establish whether students are being sent away due to unauthorized levies and forward such cases for administrative action by February 10, 2023,” he added.
This comes after parents across the country decried the high charges imposed on them by some school heads in order to admit their children, in particular Junior Secondary Schools (JSSs), despite the government allocating a capitation grant of Ksh 15,000 per child.
Those mostly affected are parents who have transferred their children from private and feeder schools that are not mandated to host JSS.
“The Ministry continues to receive complaints from aggrieved parents/guardians and other stakeholders on the un-authorized levies imposed by headteachers especially admission fees, purchase of desks and lunch money in complete contravention of the government policies and directives,” said Dr. Kipsang.
