Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:47:29 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
STOP sending children away on account of not paying school fees in full but find workable and sustainable payment plans where parents must commit to offset the balance, Luanshya mayor Nathan Chanda has said.
Mr. Chanda appealed to education authorities in the district to ensure that both public and private schools stopped the habit of sending away pupils who failed to pay the mandatory learners’ fees in full because this only served to disturb the learners.
He said he was disturbed after receiving reports from parents and guardians of pupils who have been denied a chance to be in schools because they had failed to settle the full payments of the annual fees.
He instead advised school authorities and parents to come up with workable and sustainable payments plans (commitment letters) which should take into consideration each individual parent or guardians’ financial status.
“I am disturbed with reports I am getting of some schools which are sending pupils who have not paid school fees in full. Settling school fees in full using a lamp sum payment is a challenge to most parents and that is why there is need to come up with initiatives of allowing payments for school fees to be done in instalments per term.
“I wish to appeal to school authorities in the district together with management of affected schools, parent and guardians to sit down and find a lasting solution to this problem and avoid using a one-size-fits-all solution,” Mr. Chanda said.
He said the educational sector played a strategic role towards advancing the national development agenda which is guided by the Seventh National Development Plan and the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
He added that sending away pupils from attending class would not only make it difficult for the Government to eradicate illiteracy but also meet the global agenda through attaining Universal Primary Education.
“Sending away pupils affects the children psychologically and this should be discouraged by education authorities and other stakeholders because the problem is not the pupil but the guardians,” he said. He, however, urged parents and guardians to honour their moral obligation to pay school fees which he said was very important as far ensuring that the quality of education being offered in public and private schools was not compromised.
