The Education Ministry has directed both private and government schools to submit their school fees structures for the last three years not later than March, 10 2017 and equally seek authorization before increasing charges.
The directive follows a public outcry on the 'unrealistic' and 'prohibitive' school charges a trend which could deny Ugandan children access to education.
Last week, a Civil Society Organisation - the Initiative for Social and Economic rights (ISER), petitioned parliament challenging high tuition and non-tuition fees charged by government aided schools.
The CSO presented a breakdown of fees structures which they described as problematic citing non-tuition charges like development fees and entrance fees among others that need to be justified.
They presented a circular from St. Mary' College Kisubi indicating special development fees of 500,000 Shillings required from each student prior to admission.
They also presented is an admission circular from St. Henry's College Kitovu indicating payments like maintenance fees of to 391,600 Shillings, Centenary project fund of 120,000 Shillings, Pastoral care of 35,000 Shillings, and development fund 120,000 Shillings among others.
But Education Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni says that such exorbitant fees compromise government's objective of providing affordable education for all.
She said that the fees are in most cases raised arbitrarily and without recourse to established official procedure which requires a head teacher who intends to raise school fees to seek and obtain official permission from the education ministry Permanent Secretary (PS).
She directed that no secondary school shall increase school charges for whatever reason without authorization from the Permanent Secretary Education Ministry.
Kataaha added that some secondary schools have been operating without approved budget estimates as required by the law.
She said that she has already instructed the education ministry PS Alex Kakooza to re-issue the existing guidelines that should be followed by all head teachers and secondary schools boards of governors and enforced by authorities at the central and local government levels.
Public Schools will be now required to submit their school fees structure to the commissioner in charge of government secondary schools while privately owned secondary schools shall submit to commissioner private schools and institutions.
