Magoha Orders Principals To Refund Fees Collected From Parents

Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha has ordered principals in public secondary schools, who have been charging exorbitant fees outside figures recommended by the ministry, to refund the money to parents.

Magoha, who is set to appear before the National Assembly Committee on Education, is facing an uphill task to explain why some learning institutions are demanding exorbitant fees from parents.

In a circular directed to all county and sub-county directors, CS Magoha said the extra fees charged by the schools can also be treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students.

The CS will be tasked to explain how principals manipulate and charge extra fees outside the Ministry of Education’s guidelines as well as the measures he will implement in order to curb the vice.

The recommended fees for national schools are set at 45,054 shillings, county schools at 35,035 shillings while day schools are free.

The school fees were revised by the ministry in June this year following the restructuring of the school calendar due to disruptions occasion by the Covid-19 pandemic

“Any fees collected above the revised guidelines be refunded or treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students… No child will be sent away for non-payment of such fees,” the circular dated August 9 reads.

According to the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, Florence Mutua, parents are burdened by being asked to pay the hidden charges through unofficial accounts that are not used in schools.

Julius Jwan said that any fees collected above the revised guidelines be refunded or treated as prepayment of fees for continuing students.

County directors were directed to report all schools charging the illegal fees for disciplinary action. The Ministry of Education further ordered county directors to report schools that are charging illegal fees with immediate effect.

“Any school that desires to charge amounts above the stipulated fees must make a formal request to the cabinet secretary and will only charge after written authorization has been granted,” he said.

Parents have decried the move insisting that the charges were not in the official calling letter sent by the schools at the beginning of the term.

“We will look into it because we only have one place, the Ministry of Education, where instructions on school fees come from. If there are schools setting internal fees without the approval of the Ministry, then it is illegal,” Florence Mutua stated.

Read More: “Refund Parents Who Paid For Term 2, 3 School Fees,” CS Magoha