Parents and guardians face a higher fees burden beginning January, according to the government new guidelines.
Schools will revert to the normal fees, signalling the end of Covid-19 subsidy that cut national school fees to Sh45,054 in July 2021 from Sh53,554.
Extra-county and county institution schools fees dropped from Sh40,535 to Sh35,035.
When schools reopen on January 23 next year, the fees will return to what it was before the Covid-19 cushion that headteachers vehemently opposed, saying charges for water and electricity had gone through the roof.
The outgoing Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr Julius Jwan’s November 15 circular shows that parents and guardians with learners in national and extra-county schools will be most affected.
Dr Jwan’s statement also indicates that those with students in national and extra-county schools in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri, Thika and Eldoret will pay the maximum Sh53,554 from Sh45,000.
Extra-county schools in other regions will pay Sh5,000 higher to Sh40,535.
Schools are closing this week for a two-month break to resume on January 23 next year.
According to Dr Jwan’s statement, the government support for learners in day and boarding school will be equal at Sh22,244 per learner per year.
This subsidy covers tuition fee at Sh4,144, medical at Sh2,000 while activity fees takes Sh1,000 and strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) is allocated Sh200.
Other vote-heads including travel and transport, electricity, and salaries will get Sh9,400 while maintenance and improvement is allocated Sh5,000.
Students in special needs schools will pay Sh12,790 per year from Sh10,860 as the government subsidy stands at Sh53,807.
Despite the government fees cuts, schools have stuck to extra payments for “remedial classes ” and special projects through which parents pay up to Sh15,000 more per year for extra coaching.
Special projects including buying school buses, building classes, multi-purpose halls and paying teachers employed by the Board of Management (BoM) require more than Sh3,000 per learner.
Kenya’s school calendar will be going back to normal flow after a two-year bumpy ride occasioned by Covid-19 that hit Kenya in March 2020.
When schools open on January 23, the first term will end on April 21 while the second term begins on May 8 to August 11 before the last runs from August 28 to November 3.
