NPA TO TSC, EDUCATION MINISTRY AND DCI: ‘STOP SCHOOL MONEY DEMANDS NOW!’ — PARENTS DEMAND REFUNDS
Parents’ Association Sounds Alarm Over Reported KSh1,000–KSh3,000 Examination Prayer Day Fees, Calls for Investigations and Tighter Security at Exam Centres
By Jeff Kizzilah | Digital Editor
The National Parents Association (NPA) has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to take immediate action against reported unauthorised school collections and non-essential gatherings during the ongoing examination period.
In a strongly worded statement, the association expressed concern over reports that some school heads are demanding between KSh1,000 and KSh3,000 from parents to facilitate examination prayer days, briefings and related activities.
The NPA is particularly concerned by reports that some learners are allegedly being sent home to collect the money, warning that such practices must be urgently addressed where established.
The association is demanding accountability, investigations into credible complaints and immediate refunds for parents who paid for activities found to have been unauthorised.
EBOLA CONCERNS RAISE FRESH QUESTIONS OVER SCHOOL GATHERINGS
Citing public-health concerns following the reported confirmation of an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in Kenya, the NPA has called for the suspension of non-essential meetings involving parents and other external stakeholders within school compounds.
The association says any permitted gatherings should comply with official public-health guidance and receive the necessary authorisation.
According to the NPA, schools should avoid unnecessary mass gatherings during this sensitive period, with the safety of learners, parents and education personnel remaining a priority.
EXAMINATION SECURITY UNDER SCRUTINY
The association has also raised concerns over the potential risks posed by unnecessary gatherings at examination centres, insisting that strict access controls must be maintained throughout the examination period.
The NPA maintains that examination prayer days, parent briefings and other activities should not compromise examination security or create opportunities for examination malpractice.
It has clarified that its concerns are not directed at responsible parents but at preventing any individual from exploiting school activities to interfere with the integrity of national examinations.
SCHOOLS TOLD TO REFUND PARENTS
The NPA is demanding that schools found to have collected money for unauthorised examination prayer days or related activities refund the affected parents immediately.
It has further called for investigations into collections allegedly made without official receipts, particularly where evidence points to possible wrongdoing.
Parents who lack receipts have been urged not to remain silent. The association says they can preserve M-Pesa transaction messages, bank statements, WhatsApp conversations, school circulars, letters and witness accounts to support their complaints.
TSC AND EDUCATION MINISTRY GIVEN SIX-POINT ACCOUNTABILITY TEST
The NPA wants the TSC and Ministry of Education to:
- Stop unauthorised examination-related collections and gatherings.
- Identify schools that have collected money from parents.
- Establish the amounts collected and determine who authorised the payments.
- Ensure refunds where collections are established to have been unauthorised.
- Take appropriate administrative action where violations are proven.
The association is also urging the DCI to investigate credible complaints involving alleged coercion, fraudulent collections, misuse of funds or other suspected criminal offences.
It wants parents and learners who provide information about suspected wrongdoing to be protected from intimidation.
Parents have been advised to report cases privately to their nearest Sub-County Director of Education or DCI office and provide any available supporting evidence.
‘GOVERNMENT MUST ACT BEFORE A CRISIS’
The association insists that the examination period demands heightened vigilance, warning against financial demands that have not been properly authorised, unnecessary gatherings and uncontrolled access to examination centres.
The NPA is calling for immediate enforcement rather than delayed promises or selective implementation of the rules.
Its message is clear: protect learners, safeguard parents from unauthorised financial demands, maintain examination integrity and investigate credible allegations of wrongdoing.
NATIONAL PARENTS ASSOCIATION (NPA)
Protect the learner. Protect the parent. Protect examination integrity.
