BUDUDA – Hon. Balaam has visited Bududa Secondary School in Bududa District following allegations of illegal school fees charges in the government-aided school.

During the visit, it was alleged that learners were being charged up to 150,000 shillings as school fees, yet as a government-aided school, no fees are expected to be charged but according to the headteacher, in a parents’ meeting, parents agreed to pay 50,000 shillings each. With 1,920 students, the collection was meant for a stalled school project.

The visit also unearthed a serious staffing gap at the school. The school has 44 teachers, but only 36 are on the government payroll. The rest are privately paid between 300,000 to 500,000 shillings per month, with over 120 million shillings in fees going to private teachers.

It was further noted that the DEO is currently under investigation due to previous cases, and the Principal Education Officer is currently serving as Acting DEO.

Hon. Balaam reiterated government’s commitment to free education in government-aided schools and warned headteachers against extorting parents.