This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
Kenya: Fees, Uniform Costs Pile Pain On Parents As Schools Reopen ¶
As schools reopened for the 2020 term, parents in Kenya are facing a new wave of financial burdens. Despite the government capping fees charged by public schools, thousands of parents are struggling to come to terms with a host of charges introduced by school administrators.
According to a survey by the Sunday Nation, hundreds of schools have introduced fees for admission, school uniform, development, transport, and reference materials such as the Bible, atlas, dictionary, and hymn books. This is in addition to the normal school fees.
One primary school in Nairobi, for example, has introduced a Sh1,000 annual PTA charge, Sh1,000 annual diaries charge, primary insurance fees at Sh1,700, caution money (Sh3,000), maintenance fee (Sh1,000), activity fee (Sh1,500), and a further Sh2,500 for snacks. The school has also asked learners to buy textbooks, workbooks, and children's storybooks.
Parents are also complaining about the quality of uniforms sold in schools, with many saying they are of low quality and have to be replaced frequently. The uniform set provided at most schools includes two pairs of trousers or skirts, two shirts for boys and two blouses for girls, two jumpers, two pairs of socks, and a tie.
On Saturday, parents in Mombasa flocked bookshops and uniform centres in preparation for the first term, with some decried the rise in prices of the uniforms. "I expected the prices to be high but not this much. It has forced me to use more than I had budgeted for," said Ms Mary Wanjigi, whose child is joining Form One.
Published on January 6, 2020, at 13:13:28.
