City parents on edge as schools frustrate clearance of KCSE certificates
Frustrated parents have thronged social media platforms to lament at the hurdles placed by schools before they can hand over certificates to former students.
A parent started a thread on Facebook, seeking to find out how many other parents are being frustrated by the clearance process at their children’s former schools.
The debate majored on lost books and damaged desk locks which the former students are being asked to pay for before receiving either their result slips, leaving certificates or KCSE certificates.
Fellow parents who commented on the post narrated similar experiences and urged the Ministry of Education to investigate school managers over what they termed as ‘acts of extortion’.
“My daughter did her KCSE last year. Today she has gone to get clearance from the school and her result slip…It has become complicated. Apparently she is been asked to pay for books she lost in form 2 and lab damage of 250 desk lock 200. My question is, this child has been in that school until form 4 and never once did they say she lost a book. I thought if you lose books for one class then January of the next year you are made to pay? Why would they wait until this child goes to clear in a school that is 350km away to frustrate her? Is this really fair?”
Another parent lamented; “I paid for test tubes, burette, mattress (sijui kama walikula ya mtu coz I bought him one on admission), plate and cup yet he went with his. For our peace of mind and to collect the leaving cert and knec cert we just did all that.”
A mother wrote; “They did that to my son. A very known national boys school here in Nairobi. I told them to let me know if they want contribution for the school or if its true my boy broke lab items and lost books. They waived. I still gave as a donation way after he got his certificate. Schools are taking opportunity to make parents either give money or buy stuff for libraries, labs, kitchen for the schools. Target form four leavers.”
One user explained, “The system for ‘clearing’ is pretty much the same everywhere, high school, college, workplace. The records are always kept, and when you have your clearing form every section/ department head must clear you. The forms are always given before the students leave the school, in most cases. I remember I had to pay for a pipette or something, I had long forgotten about.”
Another wondered; “I thought we used to pay caution money to cover such ama Matiangi aliondoa hii maneno?”