Parents anxious about increased fee after announcement of school reopening date

After the COVID-19 Education Response Committee has announced on Monday, October 19 as the school reopening date, parents across the country have grown anxious fearing increased charges, according to a new report by Kenyans.co.ke.

Speaking to the press on September 20, Kenya Parents Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo urged the government to review fee guidelines arguing that parents had depleted their savings.

"Most parents lost their jobs in March and May, and may not be able to raise the second term fees. The government should review the fee guidelines. We are in very difficult times," said Maiyo.

Several parents also feared that fee charges would be increased in public and private schools as parents would be required to add facemasks as well as hand sanitizers to their children's budget.

The government, which vowed to distribute two masks per learner, pegged the charges per mask at Ksh35, money parents would be expected to pay.

The parents cited hardships from the toughened economy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that saw them deplete their savings as some got laid off from their jobs.

They also claimed that the timing was not favorable arguing that October was so close and gave them a very small window to prepare financially as well as psychologically.

"The cost of taking the children back to school is too high. We need adequate preparation. It is not just about the fees. There are many other incidentals.

"We simply don't have money to take children back to school. So many people have lost their jobs and businesses are failing. Is there a school that will accept children without fees?" A distraught parent posed.