The Covid-19 Education Response Committee has today come to the conclusion that teachers should report to their learning institutions to prepare the reopening of schools in October 2020. Most parents are now worrying over the increased school fees ahead of classroom learning resumption.
Through press hours later after the committee announcement, the parents led by Kenya Parents Association chairman Mr Nicholas Maiyo asked the Uhuru Kenyatta's government to consider reviewing the fee guidelines claiming that parents had depleted their savings during the coronavirus pandemic.
Challenging Time
“Most parents lost their jobs in March and May, and may not be able to raise the second term fees. The government should review the fees guidelines. We are in very difficult times,” noted Mr Maiyo.
He said that his suspicions were that some parents are stressed that the school fees in both public and private learning institutions would relatively be increased because parents will be forced to buy handwashing soaps, sanitizers and face masks to their usual expenditure.
The government pledged to administer two masks per students to every school. Those who would need extra masks will have to purchase each at a cost of 35/- shillings, at the expense of their parents.
Parents noted that they are in challenging times where some of them lost jobs as others received laid off as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"There’s absolutely no reason worth justifying opening of schools in October. Cartels are working overtime yet they know parents don’t have money. Everyone has mind set for January, " a parent told us.
Parents protest that the reopening is too earlier for them to even financially prepare for taking their children back to school. They said that the cost of taking learners to schools was very expensive and therefore they need to do thorough preparation.
“I personally don’t have enough money to take my child back to school. My wife also lost her job and my friend who usual assist me in difficult times could not keep on with his business due to the coronavirus. Personally am worried because no school will admit a student without fees." One parent told Teachers Updates.
