By Roy Hezron
Pupils at Kilimani Primary School
The Ministry of Education has given a stern warning to school principals of public secondary schools against hiking fees.
Speaking during the launch of Elimu Scholarship programme at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on July 22, 2021, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha stated that the move to reduce school fees is in response to the adverse Covid-19 effects.
The CS called upon all stakeholders to ensure the guidelines set by the ministry are adhered to and that extra levies to parents and guardians such should be approved by relevant authorities.
He also stressed on the fact that primary and day secondary education is free.
Prof Magoha said that 9,000 out of the 45,000 applicants will benefit from the government-funded Elimu scholarships. This will bring to a total 18,000 beneficiaries under the government efforts to ensure 100 per cent transition to secondary schools.
Beneficiaries are pulled from 110 sub-counties in 30 counties and 15 urban areas in informal settlements. They will get full school fees paid, uniforms, transport, pocket money and school kit with basic requirements.
Reduced New Fees
The new fees guidelines are contained in the ministry’s circular dated July 16, 2021. The circular was released by Principal Secretary in the State Department of Basic and Early Learning Dr. Julius Jwan and was addressed to all County Directors of Education for the implementation of Free Day Secondary Schools education for the academic year 2021-2022.
If implemented, parents and guardians who have their children in National schools will save at most Ksh. 8, 500 while those in Extra-County and County schools will save around Ksh. 5,500.
Parents with children in boarding schools will be required to pay boarding fees applicable to different categories of schools and location as approved by the Ministry of Education. Those with children in county schools located in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri, Thika and Eldoret will pay Ksh. 45, 000 annually while those in areas not mentioned above will pay Ksh. 35, 000 annually.
Parents with children in Special Needs Schools will pay Ksh. 10,860 annually instead of the current Ksh. 21,920 while the government will pay a subsidy of Ksh. 53, 807 annually per student.
The government will provide an equal amount of subsidy (KSh 22, 244) for each learner in both boarding and day schools.
The 2021 School Calendar
Primary and Secondary Schools are set to reopen on July 26, 2021 for the first term of the 2021 Academic Calendar which will span only 30 weeks instead of 39 .
The calendar is an adjustment of the traditional January- December school cycle that was altered by the closure of learning institutions in March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Term 1 will begin on July 26 and end on October 1, 2021 and learners will have a week’s break from October 2 to October 10, 2021 before resuming for the second term. First term will have a three-day half term slatted between August 26 and August 29, 2021
The second term will run until December 23, 2021 while third term run from January 3 to March 4 of 2022.The 2022 School Calendar will begin on April 25, 2022.
