Govt to Track Down & Punish School Principals Selling Uniforms Through Dealers
The Kenyan government has announced that it will track down and punish principals of secondary schools who force parents to buy uniforms from their institutions or preferred dealers.
Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang stated that parents whose children will be joining Form One should be allowed to buy school uniforms from the shop of their choice.
The government will be working closely with the Teachers Service Commission to sanction anyone who charges fees that are not sanctioned by the government.
Kipsang pointed out that some schools have separate accounts for uniforms and force parents to deposit money for uniforms that are provided in schools.
He emphasized that the sale of merchandise should be left to business people and schools should focus on their core duty.
He also advised school managers to allow parents to buy uniforms in a competitive process, which will give them a competitive advantage.
During the commissioning of 3000 scholarships from the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Kipsang observed that many schools are exploiting the sale of uniforms to fleece parents.
He urged those responsible for ensuring the competency of students in their level of learning to do their job and leave other things to competent people.
The PS assured parents that the government has hired enough teachers to teach learners in Junior Secondary and has trained 300,000 teachers in readiness for the rollout of Junior Secondary Schools.
He also warned school heads against diverting funds and stated that the government will closely monitor the use of resources in schools.
The government has given girl child education a priority, with 55% of its funding going towards the girl child capitation.
Kipsang stated that the Ministry of Education and other partners are trying to address regional disparities and target vulnerable and marginalized areas, including informal settlements in urban areas.
The Sh1.1 billion scholarship will benefit 3,000 students joining different institutions across the country for the next four years and will finance the students’ tuition, shopping, transport, and other personal effects, including pocket money.
The Chairperson of the Foundation, Jane Waruhiu, stated that since its inception 57 years ago, 12,000 students have benefited from the scholarship and it proves the Foundation’s commitment to providing education to the most deprived and vulnerable members of society.
She also noted that the effects of Covid-19 have affected their effort to expand the scholarship to reach more needy students.
Govt to Track Down & Punish School Principals Selling Uniforms Through Dealers