MEHRD announces compulsory school fees limits

The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) in compliance with the Education Act 2023 has set the compulsory school fees limits an Education Provider may charge school fees for each year.

This comes into effect on the Commencement of the Act on January 1^st, 2024.

Under Section 122 (b) it stipulates that the Regulations may; prohibit or impose conditions on charging of fees (however described) to parents or students by education providers.

The Regulations specifies rules and requirements on school fees limits in compliance with the Education Act and Education Regulations 2023.

Subject to this regulation, an education provider of a school may charge school fees for each year (or part of a year in which a student is enrolled or attends the school).

The maximum amount of school fees that may be charged for school student for a year are as follows:

Education Level	Maximum fee for day student		Maximum fee for boarding students
	Urban School	Non-Urban school	Urban school	Non-urban school
Primary Education	$1,200	$250
Junior Secondary Education	$2,000	$800	$4,500	$2,800
Senior Secondary School	$4,000	$3,000	$9,000	$7,200

 

No other fees or levies of any kind may be charged for the enrolment or attendance of a student at a school in particular enrolling a student in a school, placing a student on a waiting list for enrolment, transferring a student from one school to another and sitting an examination or participating in school-based assessment. Thus, these types of fees should not be included in the above school fees.

Voluntary contributions  can be  requested in addition to the school fees, for a specific purpose. For example, to support a building project such as a Library. However, the school or Center must allow students to continue to attend classes even when contributions are not paid since it is voluntary.

However, parents can be expected to provide consumables such as stationery, uniforms, excursion, extracurricular activities and transport to and from school.

The range of school fees in the School fees rules does not apply to self –funded schools because school fees of self-funding schools is not regulated because such schools do not receive Government funding.