Schools raise Senior One fees as reporting date nears

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Schools raise Senior One fees as reporting date nears

Schools raise Senior One

fees as reporting date nears

KAMPALA. Parents across the country will have to dig deeper into their pockets after several schools announced increments in Senior One school fees for the new   term to cater for the rising cost of food and other commodities.

Many schools say the increasing cost of school necessities; especially food prices have prompted the adjustments.

The fees adjustments vary in the different schools from Shs15,000 to Shs50,000 while others made an increment of Shs100,000. For example, Teso College  - Aloet

, each fresh Senior One  student will pay Shs800,000 this  term ,down from  Shs750,000 the school charged last year, indicating a Shs 50,000 increment, while Primary Seven leavers joining  Gayaza High School, are required to report with Shs1.2m from Shs1m paid last year , an increment of Shs200,000.

The increase in fees in not only felt in secondary schools; even primary ones have done the same. For example, A Primary One entrant at Budo Junior School will pay Shs1.3million while St. Savio Primary School in Kisubi is charging Shs2.7million including other requirements.

According to Mr Micheal  Mpiima, the head teacher at Ssaku SS –Wobulenzi, the exorbitant extra  fees are meant to cater for  increasing costs of uniform and other essential utilities like electricity. “The cost of commodities usually determines what we charge and we cannot do much about it, ”he said.

 

Prices of scholastic materials like chalk, paper and food (posh) usually go up whenever the new term is about to open due to high demand in schools but supply remains static.  A kilogramme of beans goes for Shs1800, up  from Shs1600 last year.

However, Mr Ali Sserugo, the head teacher Kinaawa High School-Kyengera said they had maintained last year’s fees of Shs730,000 for Senior Ones due to the bad economic environment in the country.

“We would have wished to increase our fees like other colleagues but the community we serve is poor and they have to take their children to school. If our   government can subsidise some of essential school items, there will be no justification for fees increment in schools where it has occurred,” he said

Mr Francis Agula, the commissioner government secondary schools said: “We (education ministry) put in place a guideline whenever a school wants to increase schools fees must write to us. Most schools are in budgetary process and they will write to us to approve their fees. Senior One and five fees normally looks high because of uniforms, sport wares,” Mr Agula said.

He also blamed parents who don’t attend school budgetary meetings to have an input in the process.

With the increase in fees coupled with projected stiff cutoff point in top schools, parents are likely to face a difficult time in securing placements where they put their first choice.

The government has always warned schools against raising fees before they get clearance from the Education ministry, but very few seek such authorisation.

 Of the 582,085 candidates who sat for 2013 PLE, a total of 498,839 are eligible to join Senior One down from 480,067 in 2012 .But this will happen after the selection exercise slated for February 7-8 at Wonder World Amusement Park, Kansanga in Kampala where schools choose which number of students they will take considering the capacity of the facilities they have. Senior One entrants report on February 24.

Fees at selected schools

Dr Obote College,Boroboro

From Shs 650,000 last year to Shs700,000

Gayaza High School

From Shs1m last year to Shs1.2m

Teso  College, Eloet

From Shs 700,000 to  Shs 800,000

St Mary’s College-Kisubi

Shs 1.3million

Merry Land High Sch

Shs 755,000

Kitende SS

Shs 550,000

Ntare School-Mbarara

Shs 1.3m from Shs 1.260,000 last year

Masaka SS

Shs 735,000  from Shs725,000 last year    

Kings College,Budo

Senior One fees: Shs830,000

Gombe SS –Butambala

Fees for Senior One entrants: Shs1million

St. Henry’s College-Kitovu

Shs900,00 from Shs 850,000

Kyambogo College

Shs 401,400

Ndejje SS

Shs 1.5million

Namirembe Hillside

Shs1million

Deluxe International School –Lweza

$2600 ( about Shs 6.5m)

Kinaawa High School

Shs 730,000

Nabumali High School

Senior One fees : Shs750,000

Gombe SS

Shs 1million

Budini SS

Shs 700,000

Maryhill High School-Mbarara

Fees for Senior One entrants: Shs890, 000

Kisibi Seminary

Senior One fees : Shs 700,000

Kitante High School

Senior One fees : Shs 400,000

Bishop Cipriano  Kihangire School

Senior One fees: Shs700,000

St Mary’s College-Kisubi

Senior One fees: 1.8million

Trinity College, Nabbingo

Senior One fees: Shs780,000

Kyambogo College School

Fees for Senior One entrants: Shs 355,000

Deluxe International School –Lweza

Year 8 entrants: $2420 (about  Shs 6.4million)

  

Mengo Senior Schools

Senior One fees: Shs 658,500

Kawempe Muslim SS

School One fees: Shs I million 

Makerere College School

School One fees: Shs 658,500

Muntuyera High School Kitunga- Ntungamo

Senior One fees : Shs 800,000

Busoga college Mwiri

Senior One fees: Shs900 000

Bweranyangi Girls SS- Bushenyi

Senior One fees : Shs800,000

Namilyago College:

Senior One fees and other school necessities: Shs I million

St Henry’s College ,Kitovu

Senior One fees: Shs704,000 and adding  costs of other basic school requirements it might climb to Shs 900,000

Mbarara High School-Mbarara

Senior One fees : Shs 1million 

Continuing students : Shs 700,000

Kiira College,Butiki

Senior One fees : Sh614 000

Kabale Secondary School-Kabale

Senior One fees : Shs 77,500.

Jinja Progressive Academy

Senior One fees: Sh235 000 (day scholars) , Shs487, 000(  boarding section).

St Michael International School, Wakiso

Senior One fees: Shs300,000( day) , Shs 520,000(boarding )

St. Augustine’s College-Wakiso

Senior One fees: Shs400,000 (day), Shs 700,000(boarding )  

St Joseph’s College, Layibi

Senior One Fees : Shs680, 000

St Leo’s ,Kyegobe

Senior One Fees : Shs 700,000

London College-Nansana

Senior One fees: 260,000(day) ,Shs 600,000(boarding)

Bukoyo SS

Senior One fees :  Sh580 000

Bweyogerere SS

Senior One fees: 120,000( day), Shs350,000 (boarding )

St Peters Nsambya

Senior One fees :  456000 (Day), Shs780,000 (boarding)

Uganda Martyrs College, Sonde

Senior One fees : Shs550,000(boarding), Shs Shs252,500(day)

Blessed Sacrament Secondary School

Senior One fees: Shs190,000(day scholars), Shs 396,000 ( boarders)

 Sir Samuel Baker School

Senior One fees : Sh350,000

M M College, Wairaka

Senior One fees : Sh485,000

Kitgum High School,

Senior One fees : Shs310, 000

Bwongyera Girls ,Ntungamo

Senior One fees : Shs 508,000

Bukandula College, Gomba

Senior One fees: 300,000

 Y.Y Okot Memorial College

Senior One fees : Shs250, 000 including school uniform.

Kyebambe Girls School

Senior One fees : Shs 660,000.

Nyakasura School

Senior One fees: Shs 700,000 including all school requirements

King Faisal Islamic SS-Mityana

Senior One fees Shs 247,000 (boarding ) ,Shs90,000 (day)

Mbogo Mixed SS

Senior One  fees: Shs552,000

Christ the King SS Bulinda-Kalisizo

Senior One entrants: Shs800, 000.

Iganga SS

Senior One fees : Shs500 000

Rubaga Girls

Senior One fees: Shs 770,000

Mityana SS

Senior One fees: Shs 190,000(day), Shs385, 000(boarding)

Other school requirements, Shs 500,000

Kawanda SS

Senior One fees: Shs500, 000 (boarding) ,Shs250,000( day)

Uganda Martyrs –Namugongo

Senior One fees: Shs830, 000

Kasawo Islamic School

Senior One fees: Shs 120,000 (day) ,Shs 300,000( boarding)

St. Elizabeth SS-Nkoowe

Senior One fees : Shs 132,500(day) ,Shs Shs452,000( boarding)

Mbogo High Sch-Kawempe

Senior One fees: Shs740,000

St Charles Lwanga Kasasa SS

Senior One fees: Shs567, 000

Kakungulu Memorial SS

Senior One fees: Shs 750,000

Our Lady of Pilgrims Bukulula Girls

Senior One fees: Shs380,000

Mityana SS

Senior One fees: Shs190,000(day),Shs385,000 (boarding )