Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The administrations of Juba One Girls and Malakia Primary Schools have denied the allegations from the ministry of education that they are still collecting fees from parents.
Early this week, Minister of General Education and Instruction Awut Deng Acuil accused Atlabara East Primary School, Malakia Primary School, and Juba One Girls Primary School of collecting fees from the pupils, contrary to the president’s directive that basic education was free.
Awut said the schools were collecting between SSP 30,000 and SSP 35,000, per learner.
She vowed to take disciplinary action against the three schools for violating the free education policy of the government.
But Phillip John, the Deputy Headmaster of Juba One Girls Primary School, said it was the parents who agreed in the PTA meeting to contribute to the welfare of the school.
“It is not us, the administration is charging the pupils. It was parents who sat down on February 25, and their discussion was concern about the free education.”
“They accepted the decree of the president, but as parents, they have the right to contribute for the welfare of their children,” John explained.
He added that parents agreed to contribute for the development activities, adding that government funding sometimes delays before it hits the school’s account.
John cited the constitution of South Sudan, adding that the law allows parents to chip in by contributing to the cost of education for their children.
“Article 17, section (A), talks about the cost of sharing in education. (B) Parents may contribute in cash or in kind for the education of their children,” he said, adding, “That is why the parents have been given a mandate in the constitution.”
According to John, the PTA agreed at its meeting on SSP 32,000 as a contribution by each parent to the school.
“There are other needs for the school, we have the water, and we have some other renovations in the school. We want stationery, and we have volunteer teachers who are teaching,” he said.
The deputy headteacher said that till now, the school has not received any money from the government since the president declared free education in public schools.
“We abide by the decree of the president, and we shall continue to register pupils for free until they bring the money so that we will be able to start the implementation because now we are not able to start. It’s not us who are charging the pupils; the parents agreed to charge.”
Meanwhile, the headmistress of Malakia Primary School in Juba, Awadia Zephania, admitted that it was the initiative of the parents to contribute SSP 31,000 to pay the volunteers and cater for the school’s welfare.
“It is the parents who are the ones bringing us everything, like books, chalk, even water.”
“In a day, the parents can be able to buy for us five barrels of water because we, the administration, are unable to provide water, and we have only eight government teachers in the school, but most are volunteers,” Awadia stated.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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