Monrovia – The Liberian Senate has voted in favor of communication from Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County to invite the Minister of Education, Dr. Ansu Sonii, to discuss issues of hike in tuition and other related fees of schools in the country during this period of economic hardship.
Report by Herny Karmo, [email protected]
He made specific reference to parents, who have students in private schools. The discussion is expected to happen on Thursday, September 12.
According to the Montserrado County Senator, the academic year 2019/2020 school year has commenced with most parents still unable to enroll their children in school due to the “sharp hike” in fees.
“For example, the cost of a set of uniform especially at faith-based institutions, is between US$75 to US$100, while school fees for some schools are put as high as US$1000.
“The Minister needs to inform us about the rational and justification for said hike, and what we can do to intervene where necessary.”
As the new academic year nears, many parents, especially those having their children in private schools, the odds are very high.
The bad financial status of many Liberians, occasioned by the near-coma state of the economy, has made it virtually impossible for them to have this important aspect of their responsibility met.
According to investigations, most private schools have hiked their fees and have given deadlines to parents and guardians to make payments.
Some parents lament that what most schools are charging, especially for children in the nursery and primary classes, are so high and unwarranted, noting that the fees do not correspond with what children at such tiers of education should be made to pay.
Some parents, who are finding it difficult to pay their children’s tuitions, said they were faced with the option of withdrawing their kids from private schools and send them to public schools or other private schools that charge lesser fees.