School wahala for parents!
It has been said time without number that the Sierra Leone school system was exploitative, or for better use of words, more corrupt than one can imagine. (Photo: Adeyemi Paul, author)
The corrupt practices among school administrators have reached such a proportion that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has begun to take a keen interest in their activities.
This relates to what is generally referred to as illegal charges on pupils which the burden is borne by their poor parents.
The illegal charge syndrome commences at the beginning of every new school year and completes its life cycle in July when the school’s calendar year ends. Every parent with a school going pupil is familiar with the sad story which has no end in sight.
We are aware of how at the beginning of a new school year in September principals and head teachers alike fleece parents by imposing charges that have no bearing on the growth and development of the child, but rather such exploitation has its rippling effect on the child’s learning process, especially those from poor parents.
Parents are often asked to pay items ranging from development fees, fees for painting of school buildings, to fees for outings. These fees in most part are very exorbitant, sometimes beyond the reach of the ordinary man/woman.
Rather shamelessly, a nerveless government only comes in belatedly to issue a mere warning which the school administrators easily ignore and there ends it.
This state of affairs is visibly pronounced in the primary school system where children are asked to buy brooms, buckets, cups, spoons, and such other odd items that only go to benefit the teachers.
Now that schools are about to close down for the long holidays, teachers are busy planning graduation ceremonies for pupils by demanding from them nothing less than Le40,000 per pupil, excluding other expenses to be borne by the parents.
In addition, parents are forced to pay for report cards served. Today, teachers demand items such as soap and other toiletries with any amount ranging from Le5,000 to Le15,000 failing the receipt of such amount, a pupil is failed and the child will not receive his or her end of year report card.
These are issues the ACC should look into. Beyond that we believe the Ministry of Education has the principal responsibility to regulate the conduct of principals and head teachers with regards charges they levy on pupils.
Now that school fees are to be increased close to 100% in the near future, we urge the government to be vigilant and discourage the illegal charges that seem to have government’s endorsement.
We don’t want a situation that come the next academic year school authorities will draw daggers with parents or their pupils. Government must now act proactively in order to avert any tension that might arise between the two over illegal charges.
The year 2012 could be explosive. Any little tension might ignite violent conflict. Let it don’t start with our children.
Stop the illegal charges now through a legislative process, if that is a reasonable way forward. A word for the wise is sufficient!
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