Badihagwa Secondary School has come under fire after mandating a K500 “project fee” for all students from Grades 7 to 12 for the 2026 academic year.
The fee, reportedly approved by the School Governing Council, must be paid in full or at least 50% before a student’s registration can be finalised.
The deadline for payment has been set for January 23, leaving many parents frustrated by the sudden financial demand.
A concerned parent, speaking to Post-Courier Online, claimed that families were never notified of this fee when the school closed last year, nor was it mentioned in the initial notice papers.
“I thought we were going to school to fill in forms and discuss subject streaming,” the parent said. “Instead, my child was told she could only submit her forms once the fee, or at least half of it, was paid.”
While the school has categorised the K500 as a “project fee,” parents remain in the dark about what specific infrastructure or initiatives the money is funding. Students reportedly heard from teachers that the funds would cover ID cards, Grade 10 certificates, and sports uniform items that parents argue do not qualify as “projects.”
During a press conference today, Education Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra addressed the situation, making it clear that no school has the authority to collect unapproved fees.
“The government pays for the cost of education for every child,” Dr. Kombra stated.
“Schools cannot simply collect various fees without accountability. I want to make it very clear: no school is to collect any fees that have not been approved by the District Education Board (DEB) or the Provincial Education Board (PEB).”
Dr. Kombra clarified that while schools can initiate “self-reliance projects” such as building classrooms, auditoriums, or staff housing, they must follow a strict legal process before asking parents for money:
1. The Parents and Citizens Association must first agree to and approve the project.
2. The school must then make a formal submission to the Provincial or District Education Board.
3. Only after the PEB or DEB grants official approval can the school collect a “self-reliance project component” from parents.
“Even if the Parents and Citizenship Committee has approved it, that is only one step. They must have the District Education Board’s approval before they can collect a single toea,” Dr. Kombra explained.
He concluded by reiterating that there is no such thing as a general “project fee” collected by schools, as the government now provides funding specifically to support capital infrastructure and school activities.
