Schools accused of illegally hiking fees

The Ministry of Education is set to quiz two secondary school head teachers who increased school fees illegally, Sunday Times has learnt. The head teachers to face the ministry’s wrath are from Muhazi College in the Eastern Province and Essa Nyarugunga Secondary School in Kicukiro. In a meeting with head teachers, the ministry directed that all secondary schools should not increase fees without consulting relevant authorities. The teachers will be quizzed together with inspectors of schools who failed to take action when the aforementioned schools defied the directive. The secretary general in the ministry, Justin Nsengiyumva, confirmed the development on Thursday. “We shall discipline them. They must respect the ministry,” Nsengiyumvu said at Serena Hotel. Muhazi and Essa Nyarugunga parents had protested and petitioned the ministry to intervene. The Minister of State in charge of primary and secondary education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, said district inspectors who refused to submit academic reports will also be disciplined. “If inspectors fail to submit district academic reports, their services will automatically be terminated,” the minister warned. “It is very bad to increase fees without consulting the line ministry. They want to cheat us,” one parent who spoke on condition of anonymity said yesterday. “We are worried that our children will soon drop out of school. These schools sometimes hike fees without consulting us,” Joram Rwagakinga, an Essa Nyarugunga parent, complained. A senior five student at Muhazi College who declined to be named said school fees had jumped from Frw40,000 to Frw60,000 per term. Ends