High Educational Standards: Appeals Made By Nyeri Parents as Schools Reopen for the 2026 Academic Year
She then proposed reasoning that learners should retain the same uniforms from Grade One to Grade Nine until they transition to Grade Ten uniform, as this would greatly alleviate education expense burdens off families.
By Ruth Sang
With the reopening of schools for the 2026 academic year, parents in Nyeri County have raised concerns over the ever-rising cost of education, warning that many families are struggling to cope with the ever-increasing burden of expenses arising from school needs against the backdrop of an unforgiving economic environment.
Some parents claim the situation is worsened by the high cost of living and reducing household income; such tragic inequalities have strained the crux of human existence-food, housing-with balances such as school fees, uniforms, and other learning materials. Some families fear their children could lose their chance to learn if they have to keep shifting around looking for other alternatives.
According to Margaret Wairimu, a hawker at Nyeri Main Stage and a mother of three, the financial strains on parents with children at different stages of education have contributed to her expenses. Her children are transitioning to Form Four, Grade Ten, and Grade One.
“I am expected to pay rent, settle school fees, and still put food on the table,” Wairimu said. “December business was very low, so we did not make the profits we anticipated. I am yet to figure out how I will raise school fees for my three children who are at critical stages of their education.”
Another parent, Fridah Mukethi, said that textbook prices and school uniforms weigh heavily on parents, especially due to frequent grade transitions in the present education system. Those uniform changes, in Mukethi’s view, unfairly place a burden on parents with children such as herself, entering Grade Seven.
She then proposed reasoning that learners should retain the same uniforms from Grade One to Grade Nine until they transition to Grade Ten uniform, as this would greatly alleviate education expense burdens off families.
The parents also called for timely disbursement of school capitation funds by the government, noting that delays usually resulted in schools passing the burden to parents. The authorities should then harmonize the education support system by combining all the bursaries and scholarships into one system for easy identification.
Nderi Mukundi, another parent in Nyeri, said that the numerous bursaries confuse and waste money, by leaving needy learners in the lurch. “Sometimes you do not know where to apply or why one child benefits while another equally needy one misses out,” he said.
As the 2026 academic year commences, parents in the county wish to see the government putting in place some policy interventions that will help in lowering the cost of education. They noted that affordable and uninterrupted access to learning is critical in safeguarding these children’s rights to education and giving some reprieve to burdened households.
About Author
