It is back to school after a merry-making and festive season.
Some will join Form 1 as others move to new grades. This can be expensive for parents and guardians.
There are new uniforms and textbooks to be bought, essentials for those joining boarding schools and, of course, school fees.
Some principals, especially those heading boarding schools, have been known to invent new charges, especially for those joining Form 1 — charges not stipulated by the Education ministry.
This is an extra and unfair burden. In some cases, it means those admitted to various national schools miss out on activities as they cannot afford the charges.
The ministry must be extra-vigilant at this time to ensure parents are not fleeced by crafty school heads out to make an extra coin at the expense of parents.
The ministry categorically stated last year that any extra charges over and above its stipulated fee guidelines must be approved by the majority at a special parents' meeting.
Impromptu visits by officials on opening day and during the reporting of Form 1 learners can establish how much parents are paying and will help arrest any attempts to overcharge.
Kenyans already are overburdened financially and cannot afford illegal levies.
Quote of the Day: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
J R R Tolkien
The British author (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings) was born on January 3, 1892
