Parents Want 200 Principals Sacked
Parents are putting pressure on Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to fire 200 headteachers.
The Kenya National Parents’ Association proposed that the 200 school principals named in the school fee saga be fired from their current positions.
According to the association, more than 200 principals from public secondary schools who are in violation of Ministry of Education fee guidelines should be removed from their positions because they are putting undue strain on parents.
After the principals insisted that the proposed fees be paid in full, the parents’ association forwarded the names to CS Magoha.
The chairman of the Kenya National Parents’ Association, Nicholas Maiyo, stated that the majority of the principals were from national schools.
He stated that the association solicited feedback from parents before compiling the list of notorious school administrators.
“We discovered that some public secondary schools were even charging parents for non-essential goods for the learners like atlas and reference material just to milk them dry in the name of improving the standards of education,” complained Maiyo.
Some parents complained that national schools were charging Ksh80,000 in fees instead of the prescribed Ksh53,554 per year, while others demanded extra payments of up to Ksh2,000 to motivate teachers.
Last year, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was tasked with deciding the fate of school principals who were found to be liable for charging higher fees than the Ministry of Education mandated.
According to KTN, many schools charge higher fees based on outdated circulars, while others charge additional levies not included in the government circular.
According to reports, Kisii School, Nakuru Girls’ High School, Mbita High, Nyaburuu Girls’ High, St Georges Girls’ Sec. School, Kathiani Girls High School, Kakamega High School, Moi Kapsowar Girls High School, and Ofafa Jericho High School charged students Ksh53,554, despite a new directive capping fees at Ksh45,000.
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Schools such as Nginda Girls, Karangare Sec. School, and Nyamira Boys High, which were supposed to charge parents Ksh35,000, instead charged parents Ksh40,535.
Other schools, such as Murang’a High School and Sironga Girls’ High School, charged parents more than the old fee circular. Parents were asked to pay Ksh63,900 and Ksh55,554 at the two schools.