Education CS Professor George Magoha has cautioned school heads against fraud, unaccountability and imperious increase of school fees ahead of schools re-opening.
Parents have been expressing their fear over concerns that some learning institutions could take advantage of the situation to increase fees.
Some parents claim that they lost their jobs during this coronavirus period while others claim that their income was slashed and they are not financially ready for school reopening.
The Education CS instructed headteachers and principals to consult the Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) before altering the current school fee structure.
Prof Magoha gave the warning just some hours before teachers start reporting back to school in preparation for the resumption of study. He noted that most of the learning institutions lack accountability and are prone to corruption.
He stated that it was illegal and unlawful for school heads to arbitrarily charge excessive fees, especially during this difficult moment.
Professor Magoha was speaking at Kwale Teachers’ Training College in Kinango sub-county on Friday when he issued an Sh50 million cheque project gift from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
His statements we're from a reply to Governor Salim Mvurya of Kwale County and his deputy governor Fatuma Achani who had complained to the minister that Kwale county was funding 4,800 learners in national schools which have been annually increasing fees.
Governor Salim Mvurya urged the professor to intercede noting that some school heads have been undermining Kwale county's Ksh400 million bursary programme through fee hiking.
“We develop our bursary programme based on the official government fees structures, anything besides that can attract audit queries,” Deputy governor Achan said adding that it was a dilemma for the learners on a full bursary.
Professor Magoha guaranteed the heads of counties that the Ksh1.9 billion school-desks programme would support the jua kali artisans across the country.
