The Ministry of Education has assured parents that the cost of joining senior schools under the new education structure will remain manageable, as it prepares to unveil a reviewed fees framework for the 2026 transition.
The ministry said the proposed structure will be guided by the chosen learning pathways and school clusters to ensure fairness and affordability for all families.
Director of Secondary Education William Sugut said the ministry is finalising the details through a joint committee of school heads and education officials.
“There is a team that is working on the fee structure with the principals. We will be communicating on the new figures. But definitely, it is something that will be affordable for the purpose of ensuring that children can access education. It is going to touch on the pathway and the schools,” Sugut said.
The upcoming senior school system, which will accommodate Grade 10 to 12 learners, is anchored on three pathways, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports. Fees will differ depending on the pathway and the school’s category, as each cluster requires different levels of infrastructure and learning materials.
There are about 9,000 public secondary schools in the country, now reclassified into four clusters — C1, C2, C3, and C4 — replacing the previous national, extra-county, county, and sub-county system.
C1 schools will offer all three pathways, while C2 to C4 will provide selected ones depending on resources and facilities. Nearly one million Grade 9 learners are set to transition to senior schools in January next year.
The changes have also sparked confusion over how fees will be determined under the new categorisation. Kisumu Parents Association chairperson Edwin Ndege questioned the government’s plan to align the fees with the new system.
“Now that schools have not been categorised as national, extra-county, county and sub-county, has the fee structure been reorganised? Or is it going to remain the same?” he asked.
Ndege further criticised “hidden costs” in schools, citing cases where teachers ask learners to bring items such as eggs and chickens for lessons. Dr Sugut warned teachers against demanding such contributions, explaining that schools already receive funding for Competency-Based Education (CBE) materials. “Ideally, that is wrong. Unless the parent wants to appreciate the teacher for doing so well,” Sugut said.
Parents also reported that some learners face discrimination when they fail to provide such materials. They further complained of compulsory payments for assessment books despite government capitation covering learning resources.
Sugut reminded schools that the government allocates funds for CBE materials, which teachers should use to buy items needed for classroom demonstrations.
The Kenya Primary Schools Headteachers Association (Kepsha) National Treasurer, Kennedy Kyeva, highlighted a gap in government funding, noting that while junior schools receive Sh15,000 per learner, primary schools get only Sh1,400.
“For JS, the capitation is fair; the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms passed the capitation at Sh15,000. But for primary school, there is a big gap because the capitation remains Sh1,400 annually,” he said.
He also clarified that while some lower-grade teachers ask for learning items, such cases are rare in Junior Schools. Meanwhile, the ministry is addressing a placement challenge after it emerged that about 1,000 of the 9,603 public secondary schools were not selected by any of the Grade 9 candidates.
“There are a few schools with fewer than 1,000 that were not selected by learners. We will try as much as possible to place children in one of the 12 schools chosen by every learner. But if there is a difficulty, we shall navigate through that,” Sugut said.
He assured parents that placement will be done fairly, giving priority to the learners’ preferences to ensure a smooth transition into senior schools next year.
