By Staff Reporter
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESHA) Chair Mr. Kahi Indimuli has urged parents to pay fees to ease the running of school programmes.
Speaking in a breakfast show in one of the national radio stations today, Mr. Indimuli stated that despite the 80 per cent reporting, fees payment is a major challenge.
“Reporting back in secondary schools across the country is good but the challenge is many students reported without school fees,” said Indimuli.
He further added that the major reason that leads to this problem is the misunderstanding that parents hold that the government paid fees. He, however, clarified that the fee the CS for Education talked about was the examination charges for the KCPE and KCSE students.
“The fee that the CS said was not the fee for school expenses, it was the examination fee payable to KNEC and this was done even before schools were closed,” clarified the KESSHA chair.
“Schools require funds for lunch expenses for those who are day scholars and for boarders are other expenses required considering the current state of the pandemic that requires many boarding schools to incur extra operational costs, and also to facilitate the day-to-day running of the school programmes,” he added.
Mr. Indimuli thanked parents who have paid the fees urging those who have not to approach the school heads for negotiations and come up with flexible payment plans since everybody was hit by the pandemic citing that they cannot send students home especially those in boarding schools considering the current state of the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases.
Meanwhile, social distance rule has remained a tall order for many secondary schools in the country since majority of the schools have insufficient infrastructure to handle the huge number of students.
Mr. Indimuli urged the government and other education stakeholders to give the process a second thought since those who have already reported to some extend have achieved the social distancing and if indeed the other classes reopen, it will need a concrete advice from the Ministry of Health.
“Form Fours who have reported in majority of Secondary schools and more in particular boarding schools, social distancing and other required measures to some extend have been achieved but if indeed the number increases, maintaining such measures will be a problem,” said Indimuli.
To his view, Mr. Indimuli stated that it will be better if only Form Threes will be allowed back in school for effective observation of the social distancing and observation of other measures, and further the population will at least be manageable; urging KICD and the ministry to come up with proper transition methodology of students to the next Form in order to avoid psychological disorders to many students.
Regarding the big issue of pregnancy among the girls, Mr. Indimuli emphasized that they will not be send back home since it was not their wish, adding that he has talked with Girl Schools Principals and other principals to offer necessary support to those who will be found pregnant.
