Parents with students at Brookhouse school have suffered a blow after the High Court dismissed a case in whey wanted the court to compel the school slash fees by 30%.
The parents filed the case in April challenging the decision by school to take full school fees during this covid-19 pandemic when students are learning virtually. Brookhouse website shows fees ranging between Sh90,000 and Ksh1.1 million per year and varies on the grade.
Justice Weldon Korir in his ruling on Thursday, dismissed the complainants case declined stating that the court cannot order a reduction.
He added that prices are dictated by market demands and therefore it would be unfair for parents demand reduction of school fees.
“Parents do have constitutional rights but this has to be balanced against rights of the school and investors,” Korik ruled.
The high court judge also ordered the school to form a Parents Teachers Association (PTA) within the next four months.
The judge also ordered Brookhouse to establish a Parents Teachers Association (PTA) within the next 120 days.
Many high end schools that have declined to slash their fees during this pandemic are witnessing a mass exit of students as parent resort to middle tier schools.
Parents who would spend up to Sh800,000 per term are now moving to cheaper schools, Shs 280,000 to Sh300, 000 per term.
As school shut in March when Kenya reported its first coronavirus case, Internationally schools swiftly embraced the online platform to continue with teaching and learning.
The continued closure has then pushed these schools to heavily rely on virtual learning to continue with their calendar but parents complain that the cost is too high.