THE government, through the Ministry of Education, has stepped in to speak with Mae’s Schools following its arbitrary decision to increase school fees by a massive 42 per cent, and its unwillingness to call a meeting with parents.

One parent, Andrea Bryan-Garner, who has set up a Facebook Group called “Mae’s Parents” with some 216 members, has since applauded the move by the ministry to intervene on behalf of the parents.

On Tuesday, a team from the ministry was led by Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson and comprised Legal Officers Kellyanne Payne-Hercules and Doodmattie Singh and Private School Coordinator and National Parent-Teacher Association Coordinator Nadia Hollingsworth.

Representing the school were Lucinda McCurdy, Administrator (Ag); Megan Archer, Director – Primary; and Shaundell Beckles, Deputy Director – Primary.

A statement from the ministry said the two sides had a “fruitful” exchange that should see a resolution being arrived at soon that is acceptable both to the school and parents.
In another two weeks, the ministry said the two parties will meet again to have another interface on the way forward.
But Bryan-Garner and others are now pondering whether or not parents should be invited to that meeting.

“I applaud the move by the Ministry of Education to intervene on behalf of parents and even teachers who may be underpaid despite the proposed increases. They have achieved what we could not by having a meeting with the school’s administration. I think it speaks volumes in terms of the Ministry’s commitment to its role as watchdog for the education sector, whether public or private,” Bryan-Garner told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday.
Bryan-Garner said parents are looking forward to a positive outcome, as well as the passing of the new Education Act and amended legislation that covers consumer protection for persons who choose private schools.

The school, which stood by parents and protested with them against the implementation of VAT some time ago, is now demanding that the very parents pay a whopping 42 per cent increase.

The school’s administrators have refused to call a meeting, resulting in parents staging a protest outside the school’s Third Street, Subryanville premises on Monday.
“No to 42% increase”, “Highway robbery to the max”, “42% increase is unreasonable! We have bills too”, read some of the placards.