Ministry Responds To Parents’ Allegations On School uniform con game by Principals
Early this week, a section of parents, led by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari, raised complaints over exaggerated uniform prices by school principals and how schools con parents through uniforms.
It has emerged that some secondary school principals have turned uniforms for Form One students into a cash cow and are forcing parents to buy the kits at inflated prices in select stores.
According to sources, one of the reasons why this occurs in most schools is because the principals are under pressure from the government to stick to the official school fees policy, forcing them to craft ways of milking parents.
In response to the allegations, the Ministry of Education has termed the schemes as conspiracies that should stop. Principal secretary in the ministry of education, Dr. Julius Juan, faulted the school heads for insisting that parents buy uniforms from specific shops or from the institutions.
Read also:
Stop using Uniforms to con parents, Principals Warned
SRC On Spotlight For Missing Back-Up For Public Servants’ Salary Data
Plans Underway To Peg Tutors’ Pay On What They Teach And Workload
How The Government Allegedly Plotted To Fail Private Schools In KCPE 2020
Your policy on exam centres Unfair, Senate Summons KNEC, MOE
Registered teachers with C plain mean grade Barred From Updating their TSC Teacher Profile
All Registered Teachers to Update Their Online Teacher Profiles
Magoha To Face Summon Over Ban On Hiring Of School Buses
“Parents should not be forced to buy uniforms at specific shops. It is important to provide the colours and leave the parents to choose where to buy them from. These conspiracies should top,” said Education Principal Secretary Julius Jwann.
In some schools, parents are asked to pay up to Sh25,000 for uniforms, even as it emerged that the market price for the same items would be three times less in the open-air market. In addition, the uniforms money is paid in cash at the institution, which means no child would be admitted without getting the mandatory items.
A week after more than one million children reported to Form One, a look at some of the admission letters reveals huge costs for uniforms some which are more than the full fees for the term.
A well known school asked parents to pay an additional Sh17,000 to buy basic items for use in school.
“For uniformity and self esteem, well being of students, equipment for boarding will be provided in school at Sh17,000 to cater for cup, spoon, plate, bed cover, pillow, two pillow cases, bed, a mattress, two heavy duty blankets, two pairs of bed sheets and lockers,” reads the admission letter.
