By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
Parents have been asked to consider nearby and low – cost schools for their children following the abnormal fee hiking by schools.
Today, many private and public schools opened for third term of the 2022 academic year however, there are many speculations that several schools have hiked school fees due to increased prices of commodities like food and other schoolastic materials.
John Kikonyogo, the deputy spokesperson of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has asked parents not to keep their children at home because of hiked fees advising them to opt for cheaper schools.
“We advise parents to take your children to schools which you can afford,” Kikonyogo advised
He was addressing journalists at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi on Monday.
During the press briefing, Kikonyogo urged government through the ministry of education to increase on capitation grants fund to public schools.
“We urge the government to increase the education sector budgetary funding, especially the progressive UPE, and USE grants every financial year to meet up with the ever-dynamic needs of the education industry Keynotes,” he urged
According to the FDC, the capitation grant rate for 7.6 million learners in 12,432 schools at primary level is at 20,000 per learner raised from Shillings 17,00 for the financial year 2021/2022 making it one of the lowest in the region.
The FDC further argues that the money given to public schools in form of capitation grants is inadequate to cater for activities such as purchading scholastic materials, administration among others.
“The guidelines, school expenditures that are eligible for the UPE capitation grant include instructional and scholastic materials (35 per cent), co-curricular activities (20 per cent), school management (15 per cent), administration (10 per cent) and contingency expenditure (20 per cent).” FDC said
Kikonyogo proposes hillings 3.96 billion that is allocated to the school inspection, supervision and monitoring department which is according to the party is not done should be diverted to fund other activities in schools.
