A few days after schools resumed for the Third Term last week, thousands of students were expelled for failing to pay their tuition.
Despite the government’s claims that it had released capitation payments, school principals said that the institutions were in financial trouble.
After a one-week break, schools resumed last Monday, although many pupils have already been seen traveling home since the previous week. This may have an impact on candidate classes’ preparations for the national exams that will start next month.
Many parents claim that certain school administrators are unsympathetic to their circumstances when they seek full payment of fees, which is contrary to earlier government orders that pupils should not be sent home for unpaid fees. The impacted pupils come from both day and residential schools, according to a spot inspection.
“The funds were distributed to the schools last Friday. The weekend and internal banking procedures are to blame for the delay, according to Dr. Jwan. He disclosed that Sh16.3 billion and Sh1.37 billion, respectively, were given to secondary schools and primary schools.
“Let them (principals) call parents and arrange on a payment plan if they (principals) have issues,” he advised.
Njeru Mutani, executive secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers chapter, warned that keeping pupils in school without enough food could result in strikes.
After being sent home for not paying school fees, children from various schools in Nyeri County were spotted at the matatu terminus on Friday and yesterday.
Many schools in the counties of Kericho and Bomet claimed that they had only delayed sending students home to pay tuition out of concern for the government’s repercussions.
Igumori Secondary School in Embu County principal Mr. Paul Mwaniki stated that he has not sent any students home because “I doubt there is a parent who can send a child to school without fees yet retain the money at home.”
A principal of an extra county school in Kisii County alleged that some parents had abused the prohibition against sending children home.
