MACHAKOS, Kenya, May, 5 – As millions of form one students reports to school, school heads reiterate that a serious conversation needs to be had over school fees, particularly amongst learners deemed to have come from poor backgrounds.
Students reported for the admission day alongside parents and guardians on Wednesday as opposed to the initial date, May,3, which was a gazetted as a national holiday to Mark Eid-Ul-Fitr celebrations.
Other students had reported to school a week earlier.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha said that the government will enforce the 100 per cent transition to secondary school calling on all stakeholders to comply with the directive.
All the 1,225,502 candidates that sat their 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams have secured positions to secondary schools across the country.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Kahi Indimuli has called on parents to ensure that they comply with the ministry of education guidelines on admission to boarding schools.
“The issue of payment of boarding fee…Some of the parents are saying they are unable to pay, they do not have money, some are coming without anything, others are coming with letters from sponsors and others are coming with ‘part-payments,” he said.
Indimuli however said that despite a directive calling for the admission of learners despite lack of school fees, parents must provide a valid reason as to why they are n to able to pay school fees for their children.
“Other say their reason is the minister (Magoha) said we should just come and nobody would be sent away, but as principals, we are there to implement government policies but in implanting the government policies we must also get proper information why the parent is unable to meet certain obligations,”
“When we question why are you not able to pay fees, the parent should be able to explain himself or herself where is the difficulty but using the minister as an excuse is unacceptable because each parent has their own individual challenges which schools will listen to and make a decision based on the challenged the parent is having,” said iNDIMULI.
He said that the excuse was a ‘failure’ on the part of some parents who are avoiding playing their critical role.
Parents however complained of the exorbitant amounts charged by some schools for learners joining Form One saying that a lasting solution must be put in place in order to avoid a crisis.
In certain cases, some parents have complained of being forced to spend at least Sh30,00 to purchase school uniforms within the schools.
The government has meanwhile said it will pay school fees for at least 9,000 learned through the Elimu scholarship.
“Only candidates who sat KCPE from public primary schools in all 47 counties in the country are eligible to apply,” the Ministry has said, in a public notice.
New Academic Calendar
This year’s academic year is expected to be completed in at least 30 weeks compared to the 2021 calendar where learners were in school for a period of at least 30 weeks.
Ministry of education officials have advised teachers to devise a flexible schedule that will see them cover the syllabus in time.
According to a circular from the ministry of education, the term will stretch from April 25 and ends on July 1. Learners will then proceed on a half-term break for three days from May 26 to 29,2022.
From July 2 to 10 learners will break for a week-long holiday and resume studies for the second term on July 11.
A mid-term break will then be from August 11 to 14 as the second holiday for learners will be from September 17 to 25,2022.
The third and final term in the academic calendar will then begin on September 26 and end on November 25.
According to KNEC, candidates sitting their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam, will do so from November 28 to December 1, 2022.
Candidates sitting their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam will do so from December 1 to 23,2022.
Want to send us a story? Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)
