This is an open letter to Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites:
Dear Editor,
I once heard the minister of education saying on the news that students on the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) should not be required to pay the auxiliary fees if they are unable to do so. However, parents should discuss the issue with the school with the intent of making some kind of contribution.
I have heard of one school in the Montego Bay area demanding that parents make full payment of the auxiliary fee, even withholding rentals books to these students unless half of the auxiliary fee is paid and an arrangement made to pay the balance. There are instances also, where, when an arrangement is made and the parent completes the payment, the school's administration says the books are finished, as they are issued on a first-come basis, leaving these needy students without books.
Firstly, why is the school demanding full auxiliary fees being paid? Why is the school administration withholding government resources (rental books) from these needy students? Why is it that sufficient rental books is not available for all the students?
I call on other schools in the area -- who are less rigid on the paying of auxiliary fees, with some having a greater percentage of their students on PATH -- and their auxiliary fee is also lower, meaning these schools collect less for auxiliary fee each year to guide their colleagues. Some of these schools are with similar ratings and request only half of the auxiliary fee, or have what they call unofficially a PATH auxiliary fee -- where they ask parents to pay for specific items from the auxiliary list -- and even in these circumstances they sometimes don't get to collect from some parents.
Is the school in question indicating that poor students should not attend this school.
Concern Jamaica
concern_jamaica@yahoo.com
PATH students being held at ransom for auxiliary fees
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Dear Editor,
I once heard the minister of education saying on the news that students on the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) should not be required to pay the auxiliary fees if they are unable to do so. However, parents should discuss the issue with the school with the intent of making some kind of contribution.
I have heard of one school in the Montego Bay area demanding that parents make full payment of the auxiliary fee, even withholding rentals books to these students unless half of the auxiliary fee is paid and an arrangement made to pay the balance. There are instances also, where, when an arrangement is made and the parent completes the payment, the school's administration says the books are finished, as they are issued on a first-come basis, leaving these needy students without books.
Firstly, why is the school demanding full auxiliary fees being paid? Why is the school administration withholding government resources (rental books) from these needy students? Why is it that sufficient rental books is not available for all the students?
I call on other schools in the area -- who are less rigid on the paying of auxiliary fees, with some having a greater percentage of their students on PATH -- and their auxiliary fee is also lower, meaning these schools collect less for auxiliary fee each year to guide their colleagues. Some of these schools are with similar ratings and request only half of the auxiliary fee, or have what they call unofficially a PATH auxiliary fee -- where they ask parents to pay for specific items from the auxiliary list -- and even in these circumstances they sometimes don't get to collect from some parents.
Is the school in question indicating that poor students should not attend this school.
Concern Jamaica
concern_jamaica@yahoo.com
PATH students being held at ransom for auxiliary fees
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