SEVERAL parents of new students who would be attending school in a few days’ time complained about the disturbing fact that secondary schools across the country are demanding huge sums of monies from them as part of what has been referred to as “contingency fees”.

Without paying these fees, according to the parents, their children would be barred from being registered and thus offered a place at secondary schools.

This letter writer has verified this information and all cases investigated have proven to be true. To substantiate the parents’ allegations, an interview with the Regional Education official in Region Six on a prominent TV newscast has unearthed similar allegations reaching the officer’s desk, who then warned head teachers to stop the practice of collecting monetary resources from parents.

Failure to heed a circular issued by the Ministry of Education in 2008, regarding the prohibition of schools from soliciting and collecting any kind of monies from parents, would result in head teachers, and any teacher doing same, being placed before the disciplinary committee of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

One school in New Amsterdam is reported to have a special line for parents at a prominent commercial bank in New Amsterdam. This bank has an account for the school in which parents flock on a daily basis to deposit $3000, just so that their children would be accepted and registered at this school.

This letter writer is in possession of a form issued by that same school. On the form, there is a section for financial contributions: for a monogram (the school badge), report card/booklet, and some kind of health fee, which amounts to about $1500. Surprisingly, a monogram of the school now costs over $600. Teachers of these schools are also demanding that students buy specific kinds of school bags and ordering parents to acquire text books not on the curriculum.

These teachers and head teachers ought to be charged immediately and dismissed in accordance with the Education Act. Parents are also NOT supposed to take furniture with them on the first day of school to any school in Guyana.
Many schools are still contravening the Circular about school officials soliciting monies from parents without the approval and sanction of the Parent/Teacher- Friends Association (PTFA). This is evident during examination times in the end of term, when students are asked to pay as much as $500 towards printing of test papers.
(name withheld by request)