Secondary schools fees may go up next year after CS Machogu gave principals a go ahead; Analysis of fees to be paid in 2024

Schools have been given liberty to increase school fees so as to put up new structures that will accommodate new students joining them next year.

While releasing the 2024 form one placement results, Education Cs Machogu said the principals should do this in consultation with the parents ans schools’ boards.

“Nothing stops a patriotic principal from engaging his or her Board of Management to see if he (/she) can persuade voluntarily, people who want to improve the infrastructure of their schools,” Machogu said adding that parents who cannot afford to contribute should not be forced to do so.

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This would be good news to school principals who have been agitating for increase in school fees; saying what the parents and government pay is not sufficient to run the schools efficiently.

NEW FEES PROPOSALS

In February this year, the National KESSHA (Kenya Secondary Schools Head Association) chairman, Kahi Indimuli, presented a proposal to the Education Ministry that sought to increase secondary schools’ fees.

In the the proposals, the principals wanted fees in national or extra county schools in urban areas raised by Sh15,848 to Sh91,646 up from Sh75,798. For extra-county schools in other parts of the country, the principals wanted the charges raised by Sh17,773 from Sh62,679 to Sh80,452.

Indimuli said the government retains KSh4,196 for textbooks, KSh200 for a science and mathematics improvement programme (CEMASTEA), kSh270 for activity, KSh900 for medical insurance and KSh6,000 for infrastructure. This leaves the schools with only about Sh10,600 out of the Sh22,244 subsidy per student.

School Category	Ministry’s 2020 set fees	Government Subsidy	Amount of Fees to be paid by Parents	Fees Proposals by Principals
National Schools	75798	22,244	53554	Sh91,646
Extra County Schools- Category ‘A’	75,798	22,244	53554	Sh91,646
Extra County Schools- Category ‘B’	62779	22,244	40535	Sh80,452
County Schools	62779	22,244	40535	Sh70,216

Table: Amount of fees paid by the government and parents per child in a year; plus the new fees if proposals by the Principals would be adopted.

But, CS Machogu was quick to advise parents to report any cases of excessive charges by schools to the Ministry. “Parents are therefore advised to only pay the amount of fees set by the Ministry and report any incidents of students who are turned away ,” he advised while, at the same time warning principals against sending students away for lack of fees.

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