When schools reopened this week, parents returned their children to classrooms, but for some, the new academic year came with another calculation: how much more will it cost to keep a child in the same school?

Across Kigali and other parts of the country, parents say a number of private schools have revised their fees and other charges for the 2026/27 academic year, in some cases by between 20 and 30 per cent.

The increases are not limited to tuition. Parents also report higher charges for transport, meals, school materials and other services, adding to the cost of sending children to school.

Many of the parents who spoke to The New Times did not want to be identified or have the names of their children's schools published, fearing that speaking publicly could affect their children's places.

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For some, the choice is therefore not straightforward. Moving a child to another school may disrupt their education, while finding an affordable alternative can itself be difficult.

The concerns echo those raised last year, when rising back-to-school costs sparked public debate over the growing financial burden on families.

This year, however, the debate comes against a different backdrop. The Government has acknowledged that the cost of running schools has increased and announced new contributions for public and government-aided schools, although those changes will only take effect in January 2027.

The private school dilemma

For parents paying private school fees, the new academic year has brought a mixture of higher tuition and additional charges.

Alphonse Mugiraneza, whose child attends a private school in Kigali, says parents understand that schools are facing higher operating costs, but argues that families are facing many of the same pressures.

"Of course, we understand the schools too are grappling with expenses, especially related to the running of the school. Food costs have gone up, fuel has gone up and there are many other costs.

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"But certainly, the schools too need to understand that the parents face similar challenges, because our salaries do not necessarily change because of inflation or global challenges and conflicts that have contributed to higher fuel prices and other costs,” he says.

For him, the concern is not necessarily that schools should never increase fees, but how those increases are introduced and whether parents have meaningful input.

He says there are instances where parents are effectively informed of a new fee rather than consulted about it.

"Sometimes you feel that there is no choice. You are told this is the new fee and, if you cannot afford it, you have to look for another school. But moving a child is not always easy. The child has friends, teachers and a routine, and you also have to find another school with space,” he says.

Josiane Umumararungu, another parent, says some of the increases she has encountered have extended beyond tuition.

She points to food, school materials and transport as some of the costs that have gone up. In her case, she says school transport increased by almost half following increases in fuel prices.

"The challenge is that you are not dealing with one increase. You may have a higher school fee, then transport goes up, food goes up and you are also asked to buy different materials. When you put everything together, it becomes a significant additional cost for a family,” she says.

When every cost adds up

The pressure on parents is therefore not only about the figure written next to "tuition” on a school fee structure.

For a family with more than one child, transport, meals, uniforms, books and other school requirements can turn a seemingly manageable increase into a much larger annual expense.

Some parents say they have had to reconsider household budgets, reduce other spending or look for ways to pay school fees in instalments.

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Others are reluctant to move their children because of concerns about continuity and the availability of places in other schools.

This has created a difficult balance for families who have already invested time and money in their children's education.

The issue is also occurring at a time when the education system continues to expand. More children are accessing education, increasing pressure on available school infrastructure and, in some areas, making it harder for parents to find alternatives when they are dissatisfied with a school's costs.

For parents, the ability to change schools therefore does not always translate into a practical choice.

What MINEDUC says

The Ministry of Education says it does not determine or approve fees charged by private schools.

However, Jean Claude Hashakineza, Director General of Education Communications, says private schools are expected to ensure that any adjustment is reasonable and transparent and that parents are informed in advance.

"The Ministry of Education does not determine or approve fees charged by private schools. However, any proposed adjustment should be reasonable, transparent and communicated to parents well in advance,” Hashakineza says.

He adds that schools should not increase fees in the middle of an academic year because doing so could put an unexpected burden on families and disrupt learners' education.

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The position means that the Government's role differs depending on the type of school.

The Ministry has established specific contributions for public and government-aided schools, while private schools have greater latitude in setting their fees.

Under existing regulations, private school fees are determined through an action plan examined by the school's General Assembly and submitted to the district for approval.

For parents, however, the distinction between regulation and affordability remains important. Even where a fee is legitimately set by a private school, the increase can still create difficulties for families whose incomes have not increased at the same pace.

Public schools

The pressure on private-school parents comes as the Government prepares to revise contributions in public and government-aided schools.

From January 2027, parents of pre-primary and primary pupils will contribute Rwf2,000 per term towards school feeding, up from Rwf975.

For day scholars in public and government-aided secondary schools, the contribution will rise from Rwf19,500 to Rwf24,000 per term, while boarding fees will increase from Rwf85,000 to Rwf110,000.

The Government says the adjustments are based on changes in the cost of living and are intended to ensure schools have sufficient resources to provide education and meals.

The changes come five years after the previous contribution structure was introduced. The Government will also increase capitation grants to schools by more than 65 per cent, while delaying implementation of the new parental contributions until January to give schools and families time to prepare.

The revised public-school contributions provide a broader context to the private-school debate. Rising costs are affecting the education sector more broadly, rather than being confined to individual private institutions.

But the timing is different for parents. Families in private schools are already dealing with revised fees in the new academic year, while the new public-school rates will only begin in the second term.

The question of affordability

For parents, the larger question is what happens when the cost of education rises faster than household incomes.

Mugiraneza says parents are not asking schools to ignore their own financial realities. Rather, they want schools to recognise that families have budgets of their own.

"Schools have their expenses, but parents have expenses too. A school cannot simply look at its own costs and transfer everything to parents. There has to be some consideration of what families can actually afford and how much notice they are given to prepare,” he says.

That concern is particularly relevant for families with children in private schools because tuition is only one part of the education bill.

The cost of transport, food and learning materials can change the calculation considerably. A school that appears affordable based on tuition alone may become much more expensive once these additional costs are included.

The Ministry's position that private-school adjustments should be communicated well in advance also raises the importance of transparency. Parents need to know not only what they are expected to pay, but what the different charges cover and whether they are compulsory.

For schools, the challenge is equally clear. They must meet rising costs, retain teachers and maintain the facilities and services parents expect. But the cost of doing so is ultimately shared with families.

A difficult choice for families

For now, most parents are unlikely to abandon schools simply because fees have risen.

They have already made choices based on location, quality, safety, academic performance and the needs of their children. Changing schools comes with its own costs and uncertainties.

That is why some parents who are unhappy with fee increases have chosen to remain silent rather than publicly challenge schools.

Umumararungu says the reality for many families is that the decision is less about whether they agree with an increase and more about whether they can absorb it.

"You may not agree with the increase, but you also have to think about the child. You do not want to move them in the middle of their education simply because you cannot agree with the school. So sometimes parents just try to find a way to manage,” she says.

As the new school year gets underway, the debate over school fees is therefore unlikely to disappear.

The Government's decision to revise public-school contributions shows that education providers are facing genuine cost pressures. But for parents, the same pressures are being felt at household level.

The challenge will be finding a balance between keeping schools financially sustainable and ensuring that the rising cost of education does not gradually narrow the choices available to families.