No School Fee Hike: CS Machogu Warns Principals.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has directed secondary school principals to refrain from increasing school fees. This is even though the government will not be able to meet the Sh22,244 capitation per learner per year. Instead, it will maintain the capitation at Sh17,000.
Machogu emphasized that principals must adhere to existing policies and guidelines from the Ministry of Education regarding school fees. “As school leaders, it is your responsibility to follow the policies and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education concerning illegal levies,” stated Mr. Machogu.
Last week, school principals indicated that they might need to raise fees in the next term due to the government’s announcement on reduced capitation. Specifically, they had proposed increasing fees from Sh53,000 to Sh69,000 for national schools to cope with inflation and the rising cost of living. Moreover, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, led by National Chairman Willy Kuria, argued that the current Sh53,000 is insufficient to run national schools. Kuria mentioned, “We had previously requested the government to raise school fees to Sh69,000. Furthermore, the Ministry has our proposal for the fee increment. Ultimately, the entire concept of school fees and capitation requires a review.”
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Although schools are supposed to receive a capitation grant of Sh22,244 per learner per year, this year they only received half of that amount. However, Machogu reiterated that the government has set the maximum fees that each school level can charge. “We have banned the collection of illegal levies from students and parents. Circulars have been issued to capture the legal stance on this matter in Kenya,” added Machogu in his address to the Nation.
Machogu also warned headteachers against withholding Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) certificates for unpaid school fees. He stated, “These certificates should not be withheld by schools for any reason, including non-payment of fees. This is a policy and legal requirement, and I urge you to enforce it strictly.”
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The Cabinet Secretary assured stakeholders that his ministry is working to create a supportive policy and legal environment for an efficient and effective education sector. He announced that the government has finalized the draft Sessional Paper. Additionally, 13 Bills have been prepared to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform. The government will present these documents in Parliament before the end of the year, marking the most comprehensive review of the education sector’s legal and policy framework since independence. This reflects the government’s commitment to making education relevant for the 21st century.
Machogu also urged principals to prepare this year’s KCSE candidates for the national examination. He praised educators for adapting to the new marking system. Starting from the 2023 KCSE, the system bases the mean score calculation on English or Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, Mathematics, and five other best-performing subjects. This adjustment led to improved KCSE performance last year. The percentage of candidates meeting minimum university entry requirements rose from 173,345 candidates (19 percent) in 2022 to 210,133 candidates (22 percent) in 2023.
No School Fee Hike: CS Machogu Warns Principals.
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