Private Schools Resist Govt Directive to Release Certificates Without Fee Clearance.
Private school owners, through the Kenya Association of Private Schools (Kaps), have voiced strong opposition to the government’s recent order requiring schools to release Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates to former students regardless of any outstanding school fees.
They maintained that it is a parent’s decision to enroll a child in a private institution, and therefore, schools should retain certificates while seeking to recover unpaid fees.
Kaps Chairperson Charles Ochome stated that private school enrollment is a choice made from many available options, including public schools.
He emphasized that the matter should not be confrontational but rather discussed between parents and school management. He also argued that expecting certificates without fee payment was comparable to leaving a hotel without settling the bill.
Government Position and Legal Backing
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba had last month ordered all schools, both public and private, to release the certificates irrespective of fee arrears. He cited Section 10 (1b) of the Kenya National Examination Council Act 2012, which stipulates that no certificate shall be withheld by any institution or individual for any reason.
The CS warned that head teachers or principals who defy the order would face disciplinary action. He gave education officers a 14-day deadline to ensure compliance.
During the handover of the former Mama Ngina Girls High School, now a vocational training college, Mr. Ogamba reiterated that schools must find other methods of collecting fees. He added that some certificates had been withheld for over a decade, and this practice was unlawful.
Private school owners insisted that the directive was punitive and failed to consider the financial constraints under which private institutions operate. They raised concerns during their annual conference in Mombasa, where sector challenges such as the transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10 and financial viability were under discussion.
Read Also: KNUT Seeks 60% Pay Hike and Comprehensive Reforms in New CBA Proposal
They questioned the fairness of enrolling students, providing services, and then being denied a legitimate means of recovering the costs. Mr. Ochome noted that it was unjust for parents who fail to pay fees to later seek Ministry intervention to access certificates.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) echoed Kaps’ sentiments, also criticizing the directive as unfair. Chairman Willy Kuria highlighted that unpaid fees represent services already delivered and benefits already received by students. He argued that the burden of unpaid school fees should not fall on already strained schools.
In summary, private schools and education stakeholders are urging the government to reconsider the directive and allow room for dialogue to address fee recovery without penalizing institutions.
Private Schools Resist Govt Directive to Release Certificates Without Fee Clearance
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at [email protected].
Discussion about this post