MPs want govt to set up statutory instrument regulating fees
Paul Omara, the Member of Parliament representing Otuke County, stated that the key issue that the house must answer is "What constitutes school fees?”
Cuthbert Abigaba, the Kibale County Member of Parliament (MP), has appealed to the government, as a matter of urgency, to come up with a statutory instrument to regulate the school fees charged by all schools.
Abigaba was presenting a report of the Committee on Education on the motion for a resolution of Parliament urging the government to address the exorbitant tuition and non-tuition fees charged by government grant-aided schools.
He noted that during the interactions with schools, the Committee was informed that out of the six selected schools that applied for the approval of the school fees increment, only Kibuli SSS had obtained the Ministry’s approval as required under the law.
“However, the rest of the schools informed the Committee that their budgets which were based on the increased fees were approved by the Ministry. That Government should fully meet its obligations as per Section 8 of the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act, 2048,” he said.
In the same view, Kabahenda Flavia, the Woman Member of Parliament representing Kyegegwa district, asked the government to fast-track the development of the Early Childhood Education Policy and Early Childhood Development policy.
She says that these will help to regulate nursery schools that are exploiting parents across the country.
Paul Omara, the Member of Parliament representing Otuke County, stated that the key issue that the house must answer is “What constitutes school fees?” He said this house must come up with clear recommendations of what really constitutes school fees.
“The escalation of school fee rates is not backed by tangible items. This house should adopt a policy that every teacher that enters a classroom must be treated the same and paid the same pay. Headteachers are complaining that they are failing to manage the teachers because of this unequal pay,” he explained.
In 2021, the education ministry issued a circular barring the private school from hiking fees. The communication sought to bar private institutions from increasing school fees or any other charges without permission from the Education ministry.
