State House Girls Principal Locks Out Protesting Parents, Students Over Fees
On Wednesday, January 25, irate parents of State House Girls staged protests after they were reportedly locked out of the school by the school principal over unpaid school fees.
According to reports, the school had turned away parents who had not met other conditions, including the purchase of items, and those with fees arrears could not access the institution.
One of the parents said, “She demanded the full school fees to be paid for the students to be allowed to school. I have paid half of it, where will I get the whole amount while am just a hustler? For a whole term, the full school fee is Ksh26,000, where will I find such an amount now.”
Even after meeting all the requirements, the school was still not ready to admit the students as parents complained of being taken in circles by the school administration.
Another parent said, “When I came I was told I cannot be allowed to school without ream papers, I went to buy the papers only to find that they were selling at Ksh800 while they go at Ksh500 at the supermarket. This is just another business they are conducting here. After going to be cleared for the ream papers I was told they were having a meeting but I then found out that there was no meeting.”
The school principal, Evelyn Nabukwesi, denied the claims and blamed the parents for taking advantage of the government’s directive to evade the responsibilities of paying school fees. She stated, “Some parents have been playing hide and seek for years with school fees arrears accumulating to millions of shillings.”
Police were called to contain the situation and avert disruption of traffic flow along the busy State House Road.
The protest came as Members of Parliament threatened to impeach Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u for the delayed release of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
According to the Ministry of Education, no student should be sent away due to school fees arrears.
The late Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha had directed, “Do not send a Kenyan child home. If the parent comes with Ksh4,000 and the balance is Ksh10,000, take the Ksh4, 000 and agree when he is going to bring the Ksh10, 000.”
State House Girls is a prestigious National School and an academic giant, having posted impressive results in KCSE 2022 results.
The school’s reputation is built on its academic excellence and the parents’ complaints about the school’s administration can be detrimental to the school’s image.
It is important for the school administration to address the concerns of the parents and find a solution that is fair and just for both the school and the parents.
The Ministry of Education should also ensure that all schools adhere to the directive of not sending students away due to school fees arrears.
State House Girls Principal Locks Out Protesting Parents, Students Over Fees
