*Blow To Teachers As Incentives Are Abolished In Schools*
Education stakeholders in Kenya have expressed different views on the payment of incentive fees by some public primary and secondary schools, also known as remedial tuition in some institutions, with many parents asking the Ministry of Education to report directly,schools that receive such fees.
The parents’ demands came after the Secretary of State for Early Learning and Basic Education, Dr Julius Jwan, warned that the government would crack down on schools that send students home because of teachers incentives payments.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) headquarters at the new Mthihani House South C in Nairobi on July 22, 2022, Dr Jwan said the government will prosecute field workers. .
Kenya National Parents Association (KNPA) chairman Nicholas Maiyo recently said that the fees are illegal and not mandatory as any fees should be based on Ministry of Education guidelines.
Maiyo said that the actions of school administrators are illegal and punishable by law, and parents should report if they know about the school and have evidence, such as the school’s sealed fee structure, incentives or remedial fees that are additional costs.
The association so that it can request action from the Ministry of Education and Culture to be implemented by the Teacher Service Commission (TSC).
The Kisii county Board of Education Chairman, Professor Henry Onderi, said there is no situation where the government will allow any part of the state to charge additional fees because schools charge fees set by the government. There is a policy of Free Primary Education and Free Secondary Education (FDSE).
He also said that if there is additional payment from parents, it is not within the scope of the law.
He said such agreements between parents and schools can be negotiated if they have the approval of the district education board, which sends them to the Ministry of Education for approval.
He added that no government department can join the deal.
Prof. Onderi is of the opinion that some parents tend to agree with other stakeholders in the amount of incentive payments should be paid and then do not participate in such decisions.
He blame parents who report such cases to the secretary of the minister of education rather than the county education board concerned and urged parents to follow proper procedures to report such cases.
On the other hand, the Kenya Primary School Principals Association (KEPSHA) national chairman Johnson Nzioka, who doubles as the head teacher of Donholm Primary School in Nairobi, said there is no tuition fee because the ministry has banned in all schools.
Nzioka said that because the ministry issued a circular prohibiting extra teaching than normal classes, we do not have tuitions in schools. If it is for correction or encouragement, parents should be told.
It is the desire of parents to encourage their teachers to spend more time in school. The amount received varies from one set of parents to another.
Nzioka said if the parents meet and agree to set up certain programs in the school, then there is no problem and nothing to do with the school administration or the ministry because the ministry is supporting the trade union.
He advises the school authorities to accommodate all parents regardless of whether they can afford the settlement.
