Concerns are mounting in Kenya’s education sector as frustrated parents appeal to the Ministry of Education (MoE) to intervene over rising illegal levies and excessively costly school tours, which are burdening families.
The parents are said to be blaming MoE for allowing them to be fleeced left, centre and right by unmerciful heads of institutions during these challenging economic times.
“Why should we pay exorbitantly for remedials for our Junior School children to the extent of them being sent home until they pay?” asked Dishon Irungu, a parent at Eldoret.
The parent went further to allege that Junior schools have turned out to be a money-minting venture for school heads who collude with local education offices.
He wondered whether there is a difference between Competency-Based Education and the defunct 8-4-4 that was exam-oriented and commercialised.
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The parents from Nakuru, who spoke bitterly to Education News, wondered why they were forced to pay for expensive academic tours to Maasai Mara, Kisumu, and Mombasa. Yet, some of their children had not even visited the neighbouring Lake Nakuru.
“We have been told to pay Sh 5600 per learner so as to facilitate their visit to Maasai Mara National Park.I can’t afford it because I have not cleared my high school son’s fees,” claimed Yusuf Odhek, a parent in one of the schools in Nakuru city.
Education News revealed that Sub-County Education Offices are a hub of activity during the last weeks of July, as teachers in charge of tours visit for approval of visits to various destinations in the country.
It is reported that the officers welcome these tours with hesitation, as they are handsomely compensated with cash after appending their signatures to the lists of students, teachers, and the vehicles to be used.
The parents now want the MoE and the Teachers Service Commission to come to their rescue by scrutinising the cost of these tours vis-à-vis their academic contribution to the learners.
They argue that the education system has abdicated its duties by allowing schools to do as they please, a situation that is weighing heavily on already strained parents.
By Mark Otieno Jonyo
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