High fees and uniforms cost shock for parents as schools reopen

By Alex Wekesa(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/high-fees-and-uniforms-cost-shock-for-parents-as-schools-reopen)

Parents have since last week been grappling with the shock of exorbitant levies as learners report for term one of the 2020 school calendar year.

Some of the parents across the county were busy shopping for their children at book stores, supermarket and at uniforms dealer shops as primary and secondary schools reopened across the country.
Speaking to Education News a mother of class eight pupil at

School, Bungoma, Ms Hawa Nassir, decried the high price of school uniforms.

”I expected prices to be high but not this much because I have used more than I had budgeted for.” she said.

Metal box vendors also reported booming business compared to what they witnessed last year, revealing that they were reaping huge profits by selling at-least 10 boxes per day.
Decrying the high cost of books, the parents said that some schools required them to buy up to four books per subject.

”Some head teachers have taken advantage of school books and school infrastructure by asking parents to pay extra fees,” another parent complained.

The Director of Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development had earlier announced that schools should only buy important books but should also not to give parents too much burden.