The Ministry of Education has issued a fresh warning to school administrators against imposing illegal levies on parents under the guise of special school projects.
Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba, who was speaking during Education Day celebrations at Mbiriri Comprehensive School in Kieni, Nyeri County, insisted that all new levies must be agreed upon by both parents and the ministry before they can be introduced.
The ministry says several principals are already facing disciplinary action for failing to adhere to set guidelines on school levies. Ogamba also urged school heads to embrace dialogue with learners as a way of curbing the unrest recently witnessed in a number of schools.
“Where that happens and it is brought to our attention, we are now taking action against those principals,” Ogamba said.
“Unless the levy is approved and has gone through the process, accepted by the parents and passed through the ministry protocols, then it becomes legal and can be charged. But if it is a charge that has not been approved, it is not supposed to be charged to parents.”
Ogamba noted that while schools can seek extra funding for development, they must secure proper approvals before collecting any money from parents.
Tackling Student Unrest Through Open Dialogue
Beyond school fees, Ogamba pressed school administrators to communicate better with students to address the root causes of recent nationwide school unrest.
His comments follow his recent condemnation of the violence at Nyabisase Mixed Secondary School in Kisii County, where rioting students destroyed school property. The Cabinet Secretary stated that the government will punish the culprits and dig into the core reasons behind the behavioral issues to prevent future riots.
“The law will take its full course on that incident. This time we need to go deeper and establish the root cause of these challenges because we do not want a situation where schools are experiencing indiscipline, or students are torching dormitories,” Ogamba said during a previous engagement in Nyeri County.
Dr. Purity Ngina, the Chief Executive of the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and chairperson of the school board, spoke at the same event to celebrate how the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) benefits students.
“One of the greatest transformations in education is competency-based education. Kwa sababu Waziri, you have actually seen in practical what that curriculum has done to our learners,” she said. “They were able to display things that they have done. They are able to express themselves.”
