Dear Editor,
It appears as though we are patronizing chaos in our education sector, or are we? There is a mushrooming of private schools in this country.
Anyone who can access vacant spaces even to rent, starts lessons or opens a school. It boggles the mind as to why parents bypass the established schools and choose the fly-by-night schools.
Does the Ministry of Education have no control over what happens in that sector?
The income level of many of these schools is exorbitant and many of them underpay their teachers. Some of the teachers they employ cannot get into the government system.
One thing for sure is that private schools are a very profitable business. You can rest assured also, that the lack of regulation works to the advantage of those schools operating willy-nilly across the country.
The state needs to address this whole new phenomenon where our children are now fed information to pass examinations at any cost. We as older people regarded school as a place for the training of the mind and for the learning of etiquette, good poise, poetry, tolerance, competition and patriotism, where the body, mind and spirit were challenged.
The state is ultimately responsible for the education of its people in line with its policy framework. It seems to take forever to put together its revised Education Act. How can that ministry function effectively when there are no guidelines to steer by?
Some private schools are operating with their own policy, especially in terms of enrolment. In many cases they operate with impunity, moreso in the firing of teachers and the amount of salaries paid. Teachers in some cases are allowed to have parents pay for extra lessons, and parents are sometimes even encouraged to allow their infant children to take lessons. These practices take off the financial burden from the school owners so they do not have to pay teachers more.
The Ministry of Education needs to address the runaway system by harnessing the establishing of schools by anyone and everyone. In addition, the NIS needs to send inspectors to these schools and the GRA must do its work.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
