By GABRIEL FITO
A NUMBER of students attending Yangoru Secondary School in East Sepik have been turned away from classes since the start of the academic year for allegedly failing to pay the required school fees.
Disgruntled parents of students from Kiniambu village in East Yangoru told The National yesterday such action would only deprive their children of their rights to education.
A concerned parent and ward member Pius Seri said his child who had been selected for Grade 9 has stayed away for three weeks now.
He said even though he had paid K200 as initial deposit, the school still insisted him to pay another K250 before his child would be allowed to attend classes.
Mr Seri said the total school fee for this year was K900 and the school had set K450 as the first initial deposit before students were allowed entry into the classrooms.
The parents said such action taken by the school really contradicted directives issued by Secretary for Education Dr Joseph Pagelio, who said that students should not be turned away from school.
Dr Pagelio announced on the NBC talk-back show last Monday night that no school was to turn away students due to school fee problem.
He said schools should accept any amount students could pay upon enrollment with an understanding that parents and guardians would settle the outstanding amount during the academic year.
Quoting Article 26 of the Universal Law on Human Rights, Mr Seri said every child has the right to education and the National Government through the Department of Education has also come out strongly, calling on all schools not to turn away students and accept any amount they paid on enrolment.
“But now, we have a situation where the school does not allow students who pay less than 50% of the fees upon enrollment,” he said.
Yangoru Secondary School administration could not be contacted by telephone yesterday. However, East Sepik provincial education advisor Joseph Ouyoumb, when contacted yesterday, vehemently denied the allegation, saying no student had been sent home due to school fees.
Mr Ouyoumb said it was true that some students were turned away because they did not score the required marks in their final examinations to continue at the secondary school and not because they were unable to pay the required fees.