School heads in Uasin Gishu County have been advised against sending students home for lack of school fees.
County Director of Education (CDE) Harrison Muriuki says the school heads should instead look for a way to strike an agreement with a parent on how the school fees will be paid.
Speaking to Uasin Gishu News at his office, Muriuki said schools now have a directive to accept the alternative mode of paying the fees from parents.
“We have told teachers not to send students away. They are now being encouraged to call the parent and agree on how best the fee arrears can be cleared,” said the County Director of Education.
“For those parents that do not have cash money, schools accept other forms of payment like firewood, goats, and sheep among others. Like now some have harvested, the schools should accept maize,” he added.
But even as the county education boss wants students not to be chased away from schools, he has also reminded parents that it is their duty to pay fees.
He says schools incur expenses to have students hence the need for parents to support them.
“Student uses water, eats and also electricity is consumed. A school cannot afford to pay that expense a lot. It needs support from a parent. Those that do not have can always work on paying the school fees in instalments to help the institutions run,” noted Muriuki.
CBC transition
Concerning the ongoing preparation for the transitioning of the first batch of learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to Junior Secondary Schools, the CDE said the county was ready.
He pointed out that so far, constructions for CBC classrooms in public schools are complete.
A majority of private schools have also constructed laboratories – one of the requirements for them to host junior secondary school learners.
“We will be registering private schools that will have a junior secondary section on October 28, 2022,” he said.
Some of the private schools that Muriuki says have completed setting up laboratories include Potters Academy, Testimony School and Valley Baptist Academy among others.
He also said preparations for the upcoming national examinations have started in earnest.
Learners in Grade 6 under CBC, as well as class eight and form four under the 8-4-4 system which is being rolled out gradually, will be sitting for their national examinations set to start later in November 2022.
