Primary and secondary school headteachers have been warned against charging parents for registration of the national exams.
Speaking during release of KCSE 2021 results at Mitihani house in Nairobi on Saturday, Education CS Prof. George Magoha said the examination levies have been catered for by the government.
Magoha said the government has said aside sh 5 billion for this years national examinations and warned school heads against sending children home for KCPE, KCSE and Grade 6 exam registration fees.
Magoha noted that president Uhuru’s government has spent sh 27 billion on examinations alone in the last five years which include manning and marking of the national exams.
Despite government paying for cost of exams, school heads have continued to charge parents for the same.
In some schools learners are required to pay upto sh 1,000 for registration of KCPE exams alone.
Examination registration for Grade Six, Standard Eight and Form Four will begin this week.
Prof Magoha said the exercise will start on April 27, and is expected to end on May 14.
Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Chief Executive Officer David Njenge’ere said the examinations will be held in November and December, this year.
In October last year CS Magoha warned primary school headteachers for charging parents for internal exams.
While appearing before the National Assembly Education committee, Magoha reprimanded school headteachers charging exam fees.
Magoha termed the fees illegal saying the government provides Sh35 annually per child to facilitate the administration of internal examinations.
The CS also ordered that headteachers should not send students home for failure to pay for internal exam fees.
The CS ordered TSC to take stern action against school headteachers violating Ministry of Education orders by charging illegal extra levies.
“I have given more than 30 orders, verbal and written, stopping the illegally charged fees and now it is upon the Teachers Service Commission to take action and some of those teachers have already been interdicted,” Magoha said.
Magoha said this after TSC interdicted Nakuru Boys High School principal for allegedly flouting government fees guidelines.
According to TSC letter of interdiction Yator Mike Kiplagat breached clause b (vi) of the Third Schedule of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Act leading to job stoppage.
“You charged extra levies to students in the years 2020 and 2021 contrary to basic Education Act section 29 while you were the principal Nakuru Boys High school,” reads the interdiction letter.
Magoha said primary schools lack excuse noting that the government has provided all public primary schools with two laptops that should be used to facilitate the printing of examinations.
“Through, the Digital Learning Programme, all schools received two laptops per school and headteachers are encouraged to provide them to the teachers to be used in typing the internally set examinations,” Magoha said.
Magoha was responding to a question by Kilifi North legislator, Owen Baya, on the logic behind the charges shouldered on parents to cater for internal examination.
The members observed that, as it stands, a big number of schools are levying fees for internal examination.
Under the Free Primary Education program, Magoha noted that the government disburses Sh1,420 per pupil per year to all registered public primary schools in the Republic.
“The funds are disbursed to the individual schools’ bank accounts in three tranches. 50 per cent of the funds are disbursed in term 1, 30 per cent in term 2 and 50 per cent in term 3. The funds are meant to cater for termly internal examinations among other needs,” he said.
On whether the government has given any go-ahead on extra charges approved by the schools’ Boards of Management, he said such fees should be on a voluntary basis.
Last week the government released sh 20 billions school capitation funds for the Free Primary Education (FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE).
Free day secondary schools were allocated sh 16.9 billions while free primary education received sh 3 billions.
