The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has stepped in to investigate the growing cases of school heads demanding illegal levies from students.

The commission has written to the Ministry of Education asking to be supplied with a full list of head teachers who are demanding extra charges over the set fees for further action.

In a circular to county and regional directors of education, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Jwan has asked them to investigate the reported cases and forward the same to the Ministry.

“The commission (EACC) has subsequently written to the Ministry raising concern over such cases reported to them. In the circumstances, you are required to investigate and compile the cases and forward to this office for further action,” said Dr Jwan.

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The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is already handling and investigating hundreds of such cases before taking disciplinary action.

If found guilty, school heads and principals risk losing their jobs and being taken to court by the EACC to face corruption charges.

The PS reiterated that school heads and principals must comply with the Ministry of Education regulations.

Dr Jwan revealed that some schools have continued charging illegal levies under the guise of pocket or transport money using class teachers. In some schools, the principals let the parents’ class representatives announce the illegal fees and ask parents to pay through M-Pesa and other non-official accounts.

“It is reiterated that money paid to schools must be receipted and spent in compliance with the Public Finance Management Act,” he said.

According to sections 44 and 45 of the Basic Education Regulations 2015, no public school or institution shall issue alternative fees structures other than those approved by the Cabinet secretary.

Last month, the ministry asked school heads who had charged extra levies to refund the cash or channel it to the learners’ accounts to cover future charges.

In the revised school fees guidelines, the Education ministry reduced national schools’ fee by Sh8,500 while extra-county schools fee was reduced by Sh5,500 owing to the short time they will be in school.

For the 2021 school calendar, learners in national schools are required to pay Sh45,000 while those in extra-county schools are required to pay Sh35,000.  The government pays for all students in both boarding and day schools Sh22, 244 as tuition fee.

Day secondary schools and primary schools are not required to demand fees. In the event they set a fee for lunch, they are required to seek approval from the ministry.

The ministry released Sh17.47 billion to schools for first term. Of this, Sh2.62 billion was for primary schools while Sh14.85 billion was for secondary schools.

Dr Jwan said the money released to the schools is enough to run them.

As parents,whenever we’re blessed with children, we all think of good life to offer them. This normally pushes us from our comfort zones for their betterment and with our salaries alone,we can’t make it. We must have a side hustle. Child care is followed by schooling which drain us much financially. But if well planned, everything falls in place whereby after their education, parents still stand a position to support themselves without turning into beggars.

Here are some ways parents can live a comfortable life thereafter.

Farming

It’s a wide project as we all know. It all depends on the size of piece of land one has that determines the type of farming to resolve to. Dairy farming can be managed on a small scale as long as the cows are well catered for by a vet who is a nutritionist. 2-3 freshian cows or jersey can produce an average of 40 litres of milk per day giving the farmer 40 shilling per a litre. With good market, a farmer ends the day with 1600 Kenya shillings to the bank. This little cash accumulated can be set aside for the dairy upkeep and the  rest profit. Apart from dairy you can put up a poultry farm.  Ready market is there in  big hotels, retail shops and supermarkets. The little cash made should be reinvested or saved.

Tailoring

It doesn’t matter whether you’re good at dressmaking or not. Get small capital to purchase sawing machines and a few materials. Don’t fight buying all necessary machines. In the start, get your clothes over locked elsewhere as you stabilize, thereafter get a nice tailor and stall for your business. The designer should be conversant with making all types of garments inclusive of different uniforms which attract a lot of customers, hence good income. Carry some samples at your place of work to attract more customers. It’s all done for savings not to rely much on salary for your children’s school fees. When I talk of relying on salary, one may wonder how much the salary is yet some earn peanuts.

Sell Information Products

With much knowledge on areas affecting youths, marriages, career choice among others, you can sell enough products. The above areas are much faced with issues in our day today lives for which without guidance a lot of havoc is likely to be observed. With enough information, one can publish books, sell information via website or create online guiding and counseling. This is all about time management whereby you balance your official work and personal activities.

Make sure your marketing skills are on point to help you reach out to as many clients as possible. These are common areas with much demand for directives and one can not only counsel the people within but even outside nations through website. It earns a lot of cash enabling you to save a lot. Education is power.

A nutritionist can also use this platform of website to reach out to several people, teaching them on how to balance their hormones, keeping fit through workouts and diet.

Printing and Design

As Parents, we don’t need skills to put up this firm. Look for a professional in Information Technology to employ then you can start training through him/ her then take up the job fully. Get capital good to go. Printing and design sells much if well marketed. With many weddings coming up, parties, graduations and artists printing their t-shirts to popularize their products. Here, a parent will be able to pay the worker and save. The parent should be aggressive in applying for tenders to boost much the business.

Part Time

Your profession can as well be treated as part time after work or when on off or leave. Talk of an advocate who still can serve clients within his/her office or home. Writing affidavit, agreement letter, recommendation letter among others. Handling your private client’s case in court.You can  start a laundry firm, a hotel, a baby sitting business or even a toilet draining firm. Some may take them as a jobs done by failures forgetting that money has no signature for failures and the enlightened. All we need is to prepare for the future to overcome the ‘I wish I knew’ game.