Parents in the South Rift region are bracing for tougher days ahead as schools prepare to open their doors to learners beginning next week.
Learners have been home for over two months and are expected to go back to school starting January for 6 the start of the Term One.
However, majority of parents are lamenting about the high cost of living in the country, saying it has made things worse for them leaving them with nothing to save for future expenses.
And it might prove an uphill task for them to pay up school fees for their children by the time schools reopen.
“The situation we are in is quite bad since the little money one is earning is quickly being swallowed up by a dozen and one other bills. When the time comes, I will have to enter into an agreement with the school Principal on how I plan to pay up fees for my child,” Mary Lasoi explains.
Daniel Korir, a boda boda operator says every Kenyan must be prepared to shoulder the high cost of living until such a time when the economy will improve.
Economic challenges
He is also warning the public against falling prey to the culture of blaming the government for the economic challenges affecting the country terming such laments as unhelpful.
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Korir also urged parents who cannot pay school fees in full to make arrangements with school management on how they can navigate the challenge without hampering the operations of such institutions.
“I rarely had issues paying my bills including school fees for my children until the cost of fuel and other basic commodities shot up. But as Kenyans we cannot blame the government entirely for these challenges but should try to work around them as the State does its part,” said Korir.
Nevertheless, schools should understand the situation parents are in and give them the necessary advice on how they can pay up in agreed installments or otherwise,” he explains.
Payment of fees
His sentiments are echoed by Purity Kirui who says that parents and schools should enter into a mutual understanding on modalities and ways of paying fees for their children in light of the prevailing harsh economic times.
Kirui is nevertheless glad her children have completed studies and therefore not confronted with such a challenge.
“Whether or not one has entered into an agreement with a school over paying fees for his children, the fact of the matter is that school fees must eventually be cleared. It becomes an even bigger challenge when one has outstanding fee balances accrued from the previous term,” she said.
“Parents with such challenges might find themselves in a stressful situation considering the fact that there are other pressing needs that need to be taken care of.”
According to the circular from the Ministry of Education, parents are now required to pay KSh53, 554 for national and extra-county secondary schools located in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri, Thika and Eldoret.
By Kimutai Langat
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