The Ministry of Education says it has been receiving complaints about the sums being charged by some nursery, primary and secondary schools for registration and it yesterday stated that no student must be denied enrolment because of inability to pay fees.
The ministry in a press release issued guidelines for non-budgetary costs emphasising that no child should be denied registration to any school due to inability to pay. According to the ministry, all children have a right to schooling and must be registered.
The ministry said it had noted with concern, that some school administrators have been requesting significant sums of money for the registration of new students to nursery, primary and secondary schools under the pretext that such sums were previously agreed upon by the Parent- Teachers Associations (PTAs).
According to the release, the Education Ministry has given great consideration to the needs of schools and has provided the guidelines for non-budgetary costs.
It said that the PTA for each school has been authorised to conduct fund raising activities to support the school administration to offset non-budgetary costs and cited the following examples: badges, PTA dues, report booklets, miscellaneous. Such activities must be promoted to strengthen the partnership between schools and the community.
However if the activities planned and executed by the PTA do not generate the income to offset all non-budgetary costs, then the following rates should be applied: a) for all nursery schools: not more than $2,500.00/year; b) for all primary schools: not more than $3,000.00/year; c) for secondary schools: not more than $5,000.00/year; d) for national secondary schools (Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, St Stanislaus College, St Rose’s and St Joseph): not more than $8,000.00/year.
The release reminded that the sums mentioned were the maximum limits for each level and could be lowered; and no child should be denied schooling as a result of an inability to pay.
It said that these sums were carefully considered for all non-budgetary costs as such no additional request must be made from parents. There must be no compulsion for students to purchase PE clothes, aprons for home economics, lab coats, tie-pin inter alia; from the school. It said that parents of nursery children should not be issued with any list of supplies to be purchased.
According to the release, school administrators were also to ensure that the members of their PTAs were also made aware of this circular, which is crucial to their functioning.
It also required the executive committee members of the PTAs to affix their signatures as having seen and read the guidelines.
