CS Magoha has given parents a solution to the school fees paid for the second and third terms for the year 2020. Most parents have been hit hard by the effects of COVID-19 on a financial basis and school fees paid in advance were always going to be a sticking point.
Prof George Magoha’s directive applies to the two terms that were ‘untouched’ following the COVID-19 pandemic. There is to be no refund for term one fees because schools had not completed the first-term when the novel coronavirus struck. Learning was disrupted in March, just a day after the Ministry of Education stated that 2020 is a lost academic year.
The ministry has already declared that all basic learning institutions will resume in January 2021. Besides, there will be no KCSE and KCPE examinations this year.
“For parents who had paid school fees (for the second and third terms) will get advance in 2021 when learning in Primary and Secondary schools resume,” said Prof George Magoha when he met Coast Principals from Vocational and Technical Training institutions in Voi.
Regarding the first term fees, he said,” the first term school fees were already used by schools.”
This announcement will be a big relief to parents who had paid school fees for the entire 2020 academic year, especially those having children in private schools that require a huge chunk of school fees.
Some parents had gone to court to try to get a refund for first term school fees but some private schools refused to give in to their demands.
Teachers’ unions (this being KNUT, KeWOTA, and KUPPET) carried forward the extra fees paid to 2021 when learning will resume.
Kenya Secondary Heads Association chairperson Kahi Indimuli said matters of school fees should not be a source of conflict between headmaster/principals and parents. “Normally, schools forward extra fees to the next term. In case of refunds, they only happen if a student completes school or transfer to another school.”
The chairperson also stressed that while schools were in session until closure, they had spent money and it should not be assumed that there was zero expenditure.
“Schools still have to pay the subordinate staff and other bills like electricity and water bills.” He said.
Tuition fees for public schools are paid by the government and they may not get much back. Parents in public schools only pay for meals and supplement development fees only. The government pays sh. 1,420 and sh. 22,224 for students in primary and secondary schools respectively.
On Tuesday, Prof George Magoha said that the school calendar for this year was canceled and that learners will repeat classes in the new year. This announcement was made after the CS met education stakeholders following the novel coronavirus pandemic.