Education Ministry has rubbished reports that they had given schools the go ahead to increase school fees for infrastructural development terming them baseless and media fabrication.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. George Magoha said the 2020 fees guidelines remain enforced and action will be taken against any school going to the contrary.
Speaking in Thika during Mt. Kenya University’s 17th graduation ceremony Magoha told parents to only pay school fees as set by the education ministry adding that action will be taken against schools that will increase fees.
While noting that the government strains in providing funds for infrastructural development, the CS called for partnerships with parents in developing learning institutions but on a voluntary basis.
He said the government is on course in providing the free day secondary school grants for tuition, operations and infrastructural development and called on school board of managements to ensure the funds are well utilized to ensure 100 percent transition rate.
” No child should be sent home for infrastructural development money. Let it be voluntary,” he said.
On university education, Magoha said they will from next year down-size on the number of universities especially those that offer substandard programmes.
He termed too many the 79 universities in the country adding many of them were duplicating courses or offering irrelevant programmes.
“The number of academic programmes offered in our universities is too high. Most of them are irrelevant or have few students. From next year, we will crackdown on programmes started without having a relevant faculty.
He told university boards to be keen on their PhD students to ensure they churn out quality professors.
University Chairman Board of Trustees Simon Gicharu called for more collaboration between universities in areas of programmes to come up with marketable courses for the students.
Some 5,000 students were conferred with various degrees and awarded diplomas and certificates.
By Muoki Charles
