Principals Warned Against Withholding Certificates Due To Fee Arrears
School heads have been warned against withholding the academic certificates of a student for non-payment of school fees.
Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Sam Ojwang has condemned the growing number of school dropouts who have been denied their educational certificates on the grounds that they owethe institutions fee balances.
The administrator said that it is against the policies laid down by the Ministry of Education to withhold certificates of learners from poor families, adding that the act deprives students the opportunity to continue with their studies.
Ojwang spoke after a complaint filed in his office by Brenda Chebet, who, after scoring a B on her national exam from St John’s Secondary School Sinende, has been denied her certificate.
He called on parents with similar circumstances to report the matter to his office.
Speaking to the media in Kitale, Chebet said that efforts by her parents and human rights activists to engage the school to issue her certificates have yielded no results.
Chebet, who belongs to the slums of Matisi, says that her mother has not been able to clear the huge amount owed to the school.
“Since I completed my studies in 2019 and scored B in KCSE, my further studies aspirations are on the verge due to lack of certificates. The school has refused to give me even a photocopy of the certificate. My friends are on with their studies as I speak,” said the broken-hearted Chebet.
She had gained admission to study education in the university. She calls upon well-wishers to come to her rescue so that she can continue her education.
