MICHAEL ABONEKA: Schools are ripping off parents with inflated UNEB Registration Fees

I Have noted with concern the growing culture of schools inflating UNEB Registration Fees for Candidates at PLE, UCE and UACE Levels. I have come to know of scenarios where a School has charged more than UGX 500,000 as UNEB Registration for a UCE Candidate and UGX 200,000 for PLE. The explanation is that the fees entails both registration fees and transport to UNEB to fully register the Candidate.

The sme schools have continued to fundraise money from parents to buy school vans and yet they continue to charge transport costs on all candidates. Even when the school vans or buses are bought, the contribution fee (van fee) is not removed from the total school fees that a parent must pay for a child. All this is unfair and a grande enrichment scheme.

The official UNEB Registration fees for 202/21 for PLE is UGX 34,000 per head and late Registration at UGX 68,000; UCE at UGX 164,000 and an additional fee of UGX 15,000 and for UACE, the fee is UGX 186,000 and additional fee of UGX18,000. These figures are available in the public domain (though limited) and therefore no school should charge outside these fees.

I also call upon parents to be vigilant and care to know what they are paying as against what they ought to pay as this will help us clean our society. The schools must stop this kind of ripping off and any other schemes as these have made education expensive, denying many children the right to education as provided by Article 30 of the Constitution and SDG 4 on quality Education.

All parents should revisit these aymens and as for the refunds of the excess and the schools should be put to task why they charge exorbitant fees outside the approved ones. Further, UNEB and the Ministry of Education should take interest in this issue and as well work together to sensitize the masses more on these issues as many are naive and thus taken advantage of. Let us save our Country!