Magoha urged to ensure learners are not sent away for fees – KBC

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has been urged to ensure that no learner across the country are sent away for school fees.

Speaking at Mlolongo Chief’s camp where he issued National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) education bursaries, Mavoko MP Patrick Makau said majority of Kenyan households were greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and were therefore struggling to make ends meet.

He said payment of school fees must be made manageable to majority of parents whose livelihoods were hard hit by the corona-virus pandemic.?

“We heard CS Magoha saying that all school children must pay school fees. He does not understand the magnitude of problems facing majority of Kenyan parents. People lost their jobs and businesses in 2020 and clearly most of them are struggling to pick up again,” said Makau.

The MP challenged the CS to craft a friendly fees payment system and policy through the ministry of education which will allow parents to pay school fees in manageable installments in order to all children remain in school.

Makau noted that inconsistency in the disbursement of NG-CDF funds by the Government had also posed huge challenge in drawing up education bursary cheques for needy students.

“If the Government itself is unable to disburse funds as required, how are the poor and struggling parents expected to promptly pay school fees?” he posed.

Over 7000 students in secondary schools, universities and tertiary colleges received bursary cheques worth Ksh 41 million.

Magoha had on Monday instructed school heads not to allow students who have fee arrears back to school as they report from their mid-term break.

He said the Education Ministry was aware that a majority of parents who are yet to clear school fees for their children are indeed capable, but were only taking advantage of the current financial situation in the country to pretend otherwise.