Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. George Magoha has instructed school headteachers not to allow students who have fees arrears back to school as they report from mid-term.
The CS said the Ministry is aware that the majority of students who are yet to clear their school fees arrears are capable and are taking advantage of the current financial situation in the country to pretend to be unable.
He said exemptions should be those students that the school principals know to come from poor families and those whose parents have lost their jobs during this Covid-19 period.
Speaking at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) during the handing over ceremony of Agricultural Laboratory Building (ALB) Building Annex to the University today, the CS said school principals should confirm the backgrounds of the students before they send them home to collect fee balances.
“Our population is very interesting because we know that well-off parents have failed to pay school fees for the third term, pretending that they are suffering during this period of Coronavirus pandemic. Your children will not be allowed back to class if you will not have cleared school fees. However, if you come from needy families, the head-teachers will listen to your case,” he said.
This comes as the government released Sh 2.8billion capitation for primary schools and another Sh. 6.5billion for free secondary school education.
Magoha said the said funds have been released adding that the remaining Sh6.5 billion for the free secondary school programme will be released in the near future.
He added that as the schools reopen from mid-term, education officials will move around to ensure students continue to provide and comply with covid protocols.
He said they have enough face masks which they will be distributing to needy schools to help in preventing the spread of Covid-19 virus.
On Form one selection, Magoha said the exercise is proceeding on and before June 15, students will start receiving Form one letters.
“We have ensured that there is absolute fairness in Form one selection especially for intelligent and poor children from slum areas. By mid this month, all students who sat for KCPE will know the secondary schools that they have been called to pursue their secondary education,” he said.