Govt lifts burden off parents

By DULCIE OREKE
ONE of the biggest impediments to children attending school and remaining for nine years is school fees, Education secretary Dr Musawe Sinebare says.
He said school fees were a big burden on parents and guardians.
“School fees affect students’ enrolment and prevents students from completing their schooling,” he said.
In a statement last month, Sinebare said in order to increase enrolment and retention, the government would fully provide school fees for elementary prep to grade 10 students.
“And they will support the parents and guardians of grades 11 and 12 students by paying 75% of their school fees in the 2012 school year,” Sinebare said.
The following is breakup of contribution towards school fees by the government and parents this year;
l    Elementary (EP, E1 and E2), lower primary Grades 3-5 and upper primary levels Grades 6-8 government contribution costs and parents contribution is K0;
l    Vocational centres (day) Grades 7-10, government will be paying K225, while parents have to meet K225;
l    Boarding students for vocational centres from Grades 7-10 will have the government paying K525, while parents will meet K525;
l    Both day and boarders in lower secondary school from Grades 7 to 10 will not have any government or parental contribution;
l    Upper secondary school day from Grades 11 to 12 students will have the government contribute K247.50 while the parents will have to meet K247.50;
l    Government will be contributing K375 to upper secondary boarders from Grades 11 to 12, leaving parents to pay the same amount of K375;
l    Government will be contributing K247.50 for day students in national high school from Grades 11 to 12, with parents expected to meet the other K247.50;
l    Boarder students for national high school will have the government contributing K375 as well as parental contribution of a similar amount of K375; and
l    Government will be contributing to flexible, open and distance education with a contribution of K25, leaving parents to meet the other K25.  
Sinebare said education was a shared responsibility and parents and guardians must continue to provide the necessary help for their children’s education.
He said schools may ask parents and guardians to pay some money as project fees depending on approval from the provincial education board.
“Schools are asked to be responsible in setting such fees in order that it does not turn away students from schooling opportunities,” Sinebare said.