BY SYLVANA TEKUMAHA
The Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHRD) reminds Education Providers and School Principals to only charge schools fees that are approved.
According to MEHRD, schools who charge beyond the fees approved are breaching the Ministerial Order they implement and if they wish to charge fees beyond the approved maximum, they must seek prior written approval from the Minister of MEHRD, supported with evidence-based justification.
The justification must include;
- The school’s projected expenditure for the 2026 financial year;
- Key operational and development costs;
- Revenue sources, including:
- School grants
- Expected fee collections based on student enrolment
- Any other sources of income
According to the existing administrative instruction issued by the Permanent Secretary, MEHRD prohibits National examination fees for students in Year 9, Year 11, and Year 12, registration or administration fees and transfer fees for students approved to transfer from one school to another.
MEHRD explains that schools intending to introduce or charge any additional fee must first consult and seek advice from the Permanent Secretary and final approval from their Ministry.
The maximum amount of school fees that may be charged for school for a year is as follows:
Primary schools may charge up to $1,200 in urban areas and $250 in non-urban areas.
For junior secondary, the maximum is $2,000 in urban and $800 in non-urban, while senior secondary non-boarding schools may charge up to $4,000 in urban centres and $3,000 in non-urban areas.
For boarding schools doing Junior Secondary in urban areas, schools may charge up to $4,500 and $2,800. For non-urban boarding schools in Senior Secondary schools may charge up to $9,000, as for non-urban school it is $7,200.
MEHRD expects everyone to comply to the instructions to ensure there is equity, transparency, and orderly commencement of the academic year across schools.
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