Parents in Kitgum Municipality are being urged to pay school fees and PTA contributions using mobile money codes to avoid costly bank charges.
The call was made by Michael Wes Olanya, the Kitgum Municipal Education Officer during an emergency parents’ meeting at Kitgum Primary School.
Olanya says mobile money payment codes are effective and save time compared to bank deposits.
He explains that this payment method is affordable, with little or no cost from the telecom service provider, unlike paying at the bank, where charges are imposed on every payment a parent makes.
The push comes after parents complained that banks deduct charges whenever they pay fees, despite the struggle to raise the money.
Hellen Apoko, the Head Teacher of Kitgum Primary School says the school adopted bank payments after parents raised concerns about receipt errors by the bursar during an Annual General Meeting.
She says changing the policy needs another AGM.
She reveals that for now, the school has introduced a mobile money code system, and some learners are already enrolled.
Bank charges on school fees in Northern Uganda typically range from 2,000 to 5,000 shillings per deposit while mobile money transactions can cost as little as zero to 500 shillings.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has been encouraging schools to adopt digital payments to improve accountability.
By Opoka Denis
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