The Education Ministry is planning to shut down Illegal boarding schools in both primary and secondary school levels.
According to a circular by the Education Permanent Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang to all schools in Kenya, all schools offering boarding services to learners without obtaining the necessary legal documents will be shut down.
According to the circular, some day schools have converted into boarding schools without being duly reassessed and reregistered.
Besides, some day schools are forcing learners in senior classes and senior forms that is in class seven and eight and in form three and four to board despite not having sufficient facilities.
Besides, the ministry has also warned school heads against demanding for extra levies from parents in the name of teacher motivation and extra learner programmes such as remedials.
For instance, a lead school in Nandi County forced parents to pay an extra Kshs 15,000 for teacher motivation.
Besides, another school in Nairobi County has also demanded for Kshs 15, 000 for teacher motivation.
Therefore, all heads have been strongly advised to stick to the gazetted fees structure provided by the Ministry of Education.
Below is the 2020 school fees structure given by the Ministry of Education
TABLE 2: THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION’S SET SECONDARY SCHOOL FEES
HERE IS THE 2020 FEES STRUCTURE FOR DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS
2020 SCHOOL FEE STRUCTURE FOR DAY SCHOOLS IN KENYA
| VOTE HEADS | PARENT | GOK (AMOUNT IN KSHS) |
| TEACHING/ LEARNING MATERIALS AND EXAMS | 0 | 4, 144 |
| MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT | 0 | 5, 000 |
| OTHER VOTE HEADS-LT $T, ADM., EWC, P.E | 0 | 9, 400 |
| ACTIVITY FEE | 0 | 1, 500 |
| MEDICAL AND INSURANCE | 0 | 2, 000 |
| SMASSE | 0 | 200 |
| TOTAL SCHOOL FEES | 0 | 22, 244 |
TOWN SCHOOLS
The maximum fees for all national and extra county secondary schools located in major towns is capped at Kshs 75, 798 PER YEAR.
The Government is planning to subsidise this fee with Kshs 22, 244. The rest of the amount should be raised by the parent or guardian.
BOARDING SCHOOLS
The Kenyan Government will also facilitate the education of each learner in boarding school equal to the capitation offered for learners in day schools.
The parents will have to cater for boarding fees applicable to different categories of schools and their location.
THE FOLLOWING TABLES SHOW THE BOARDING SCHOOLS’ FEES STRUCTURES FOR VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF SCHOOLS BASED ON LOCATION
BOARDING SCHOOLS’ MINISTRY OF EDUCATION FEES STRUCTURE FOR CATEGORY A
Category A schools include all National schools, extra county secondary schools located in the following major towns: Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisumu, Thika and Eldoret.
| VOTE HEAD | GOK | PARENT | TOTAL |
| TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS AND EXAMS | 4, 144 | 0 | 4, 144 |
| BOARDING EQUIPMENT AND STORES | 0 | 30, 385 | 30, 385 |
| MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT | 5, 000 | 2, 000 | 7, 000 |
| OTHER VOTE HEADS | 9, 400 | 20, 371 | 29, 771 |
| ACTIVITY FEE | 1, 500 | 798 | 2, 298 |
| MEDICAL AND INSURANCE | 2, 000 | 0 | 2, 000 |
| SMASSE | 200 | 0 | 200 |
| TOTAL AMOUNT | 22, 244 | 53, 554 | 75, 798 |
BOARDING SCHOOL FEES FOR SCHOOLS IN CATEGORY B
Category B secondary schools include boarding schools located in other areas except for Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, Nyeri, and Thika
| VOTE HEAD | GOK | PARENT | TOTAL |
| TEACHING/LEARNING MATERIALS AND EXAMS | 4, 144 | 0 | 4, 144 |
| BOARDING EQUIPMENT AND STORES | 0 | 25, 385 | 25, 385 |
| MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT | 5, 000 | 2, 000 | 7, 000 |
| OTHER VOTE HEADS | 9, 400 | 12, 900 | 22, 300 |
| ACTIVITY FEES | 1, 500 | 250 | 1, 750 |
| MEDICAL AND INSURANCE | 2, 000 | 0 | 2, 000 |
| SMASSE | 200 | 0 | 200 |
| TOTAL AMOUNT | 22, 244 | 40, 535 | 62, 779 |