The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture has warned schools not to force parents to buy items or pay unauthorised fees.
 
The Ministry clarified that public schools are not allowed to force parents to buy stationery or cleaning materials or pay registration fees.
 
The Executive Director in the Ministry, Edda Bohn, explained that the government has already given schools money to buy stationery and other basic supplies.
 
Stationery lists should not be mandatory, she highlighted, and no learner should be chased away because their parents cannot afford to buy supplies.
 
“In terms of the stationery, it is customary that schools give long lists of, you know, and they might even include, you know, consumables regarding cleaning and, you know, other things, like toilet paper and printing paper. We heard about air freshener and Handy Handy and so on. So that should be minimised because the Ministry does provide a budget for cleaning materials and, you know, all these other consumables. And that is what we try to reiterate. Of course, as a parent, you are there to fight for the best interest of your child. The school boards, as a unified school community, jointly decide how to support their learners and the school as a whole. It should be agreed on what can be provided for and what can be supplemented. So, we are strong advocates that we should not make these lists mandatory. Yeah. And say unless you have your package that cost, you know, at one thousand five hundred, you are not allowed to participate. So that is totally against the law.”
 
She explained that while parents are responsible for uniforms, food, and school bags, schools must support learners who come from poor backgrounds.
 
Bohn also confirmed that some schools have been reported for charging registration fees, which she says is illegal.
 
She said action will be taken against schools that break the rules.
 
Parents who are asked to pay illegal fees are urged to report the matter to school boards, inspectors, regional offices, or directly to the Ministry.
 
Bohn also addressed the issue of learners who have not yet been placed in schools, saying parents should work with nearby schools and regional offices so that alternative arrangements can be made.
 
The Ministry has called on parents and school management to work together to ensure a smooth and fair start of the 2026 academic year.