Samuel Nok, Head Teacher of Pabbo secondary school in Amuru district has come under fire for charging students studying under Universal Secondary Education program. Francis Uma Agula, acting permanent secretary Ministry of Education accuses Nok of charging 57,000 shillings on each student in the school in breach of section 9 (1) of the Education Act 2008.
The act states that no person or agent shall levy or order another person to levy any charge for purposes of education in any primary or post primary institution implementing UPE or USE programs. Agula warns that Nok would be subjected to disciplinary action unless he provides enough evidence to exonerate him.
Once found guilty, Agula could be sentenced to one year in jail or pay a fine of one million shillings. When URN visited the school, the only government aided secondary school in the sub county, Nok who was unavailable said he was traveling and could not comment on phone. Nicholas Obol, one of the parents says that they have repeatedly complained about the fees but nothing has been done.
Ben Okwamoi, Pabbo District Education Officer says that he is shocked by school levy saying it is illegal. In 2007, government introduced Universal Secondary Education ten years after Universal Primary Education was launched in an attempt to increase access to secondary school education.
