Monrovia – The reopening of schools has become a major problem for many parents who are seeking means to put their kids through school as the academic year commences.
Report by Mae Azango [email protected]
“My two children took the entrance and were successful, so I am registering them to come to this free school. Bridge did not take a dime from me as registration. Bridge is giving the children free book bags, copybooks, shoes and socks to come to school, and we are not buying anything”- Rose Thomas, parents of two children
During the course of last week, parents thronged the campus of the J.W. Pearson Elementary School on Carey Street for their kids to enroll at the Bridge International Academies (BIA) operated school.
Admission is free but one must first sit an entrance examination and no sooner, many came out with a sad countenance as many of their kids did not emerge with flying colors.
“I am so confused because I have not even registered my three children for school yet and my husband, who is a civil servant, says no money, because the National Legislature has not passed the budget, so money business is hard,” said Monica Williams, a desperate parent who lives on Gurley Street.
Schools in Liberia opened a week ago and many parents like Monica have not been able to register their children for school due to the sudden hike in the exchange rate of the US dollar, which has gone to US$1 to LD$98 to LD$100, leaving prices of school materials such as uniforms, copy books, book bags and local commodities to go sky high, as everything is twice expensive than the previous price.
Unlike distressed parent Monica Williams, Rose Thomas was opportune to have registered her two girls who passed the entrance exams to attend the free school run by Bridge.
“My two children took the entrance and were successful, so I am registering them to come to this free school. Bridge did not take a dime from me as registration.”
“Bridge is giving the children free book bags, copybooks, shoes and socks to come to school, and we are not buying anything,” said Rose.
With so much joy, Rose said she could not express her happiness because she was very worried about putting her kids through school as her husband is not working.
“Just imagine, last year my first daughter was in the 1st grade at Kid Foundation School and I was paying L$12, 900 as school fees for her. And my other daughter was attending Pioneer Baptist School and I was paying L$14,000 as school fees for her.
The way money business is hard, I was worried as to where I was going to get money from this school year to pay my children school fees. But as God would have it, my children are coming to this free school. I am happy that Bridge came and brought this opportunity to some of us who cannot afford to pay our children school fees, and God will bless Bridge very much,” said Rose.
Rose revealed she did not get her daughters in through any covert means. It was rather the flying colors in the entrance exams which made them to enter, she said.
“To parents like me who are out there, pay attention for any opportunity like the one I got and send your children to school, because education is important and it pays to send your child to school because our children are our future”, she said.
Opposite the J.W. Pearson School, Tommy Harris sells copy books, pens, pencils and other school materials, but has not sold a single copybook the entire morning because, according to him, there is no money for people to buy.
“There is no money in the town, because parents are not buying copybooks for their children but everybody is crying that there is no money.
I believe it because, in the past, I will sell over six to eight dozens of copy books before the day ends, but look at me now, I have not even sold a single copy book, much more to talk about selling one dozen”, said Harris.
Many believe that the high prices are due to the high exchange rate between the United States and Liberian dollars.
Mohammed Sesay, a money changer at the corner of Carey and Johnson Street said exchange rate is high because entrepreneurs who need United States dollars and cannot get it from the bank end up on the street to look for the US dollars.
“If the banks refused to give the business man his money and when he wants to buy his goods, the business people will buy all the US dollars for a higher rate on the street.
As it is looking now, the business man will bring his box outside to hunt for the US on the market, so they will carry the rate up, and we the ordinary people will continue to suffer,” said Sesay
Sesay, who has been a money changer on Carey Street, for over five years, said he thinks the banks have to work hard in giving the business people their money whenever they go to the bank, in order to avoid food shortage.
“It is just normal to us if the rate goes up or come down, but it affects us in a way, because the school fees get higher things like copybooks and other things get expensive on the market. So, I want the rate to come down, for things prices to also drop on the market.”
Many people including Sesay, believe that the failure to pass the budget is responsible for the current hardship in the country.
“I believe if the budget passes, things would be better and when the business man goes to the bank for his money, he won’t have hard time getting his money, there will be no need for him to come outside and put table down to buy US dollars from the street and inflict the rate.’
“I think there should be a budget that whenever the rate goes up, they should be able to stabilize the rate as done in other countries, so the common people cannot suffer,” he said.
The number of students on the streets since the resumption of school is limited as many parents find it difficult to get their children in school.
