Kenya

Students attend school in Nyanza, Kenya. When school fees were abolished in 2003, enrollment in the country increased by 1.3 million!

credit: GCE Kenya

In many countries, school fees and other costs related to education are significant barriers that prevent children from going to school. Although these fees can be small, as little as $50-$100 a year, the cash expense is too much for poor families and orphaned children to afford. In 2005, the World Bank surveyed 94 poor countries and found that only 16 charge no fees at all.

While formal tuition fees have been abolished in many countries, books, uniforms, supplies and transportation costs associated with going to school often make it difficult for many to enroll. These costs contribute to non-attendance, dropout and even child labor.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) declared primary education compulsory and free to everyone but school fees remain a challenge for many.

Look at what happens when school fees are abolished…

• Burundi abolished primary school fees in 2005; as a result, 500,000 additional children arrived to enroll on the first day of school.

• In Kenya, when school fees were abolished in 2003, enrollment increased from 5.9 million to 7.2 million.