By Bida Elly David
Central Equatoria State Ministry of General Education has cautioned private institutions over charging high tuition fees on learners across the country.
The initiative arose during the launch of consultative meeting on the transforming of education system in the country to boost learning.
Last year, the national Ministry of General Education had warned private schools especially secondary and primary schools over high tuition fees to learners but there was hesitation as some private schools went on demonstrating against the decision of the Ministry claiming high spending costs.
This year, the situation has exceeded beyond expectation as they double charged parents on payment.
Speaking during the event, Cirisio Wani Zecharia, the State Minister of health said the high imposition of tuition fees on learning by private schools has affected parents who have the will to enrol their children for academics.
“The imposition of high tuition fees on learners by private institutions of learning such as primary, secondary and colleges have hindered education in the Country since most parents could not afford to pay. We are warning private schools to refrain from charging high tuition fees to learners and if they continue, strict measures will be taken against their act with immediate effect’’ Minister Cirisio warned.
He said the decision taken by private schools to impose high tuition fees in learning was against the Education act which defined the right of every child to have access to free education.
“The exercise done by private schools raising schools fees to high level is totally against the South Sudan Education act that talks of children having right to free education. We are in a situation where parents fight to access, feeding, medication to their kids and they are charging parents highly for educating their kids. This is unfair ad contrary to the education act’’ the Minister lamented.
Furthermore, he added that due to the high fees, teachers from public schools tend to shift in order to get high pay.
“Most parents have been affected with the random rise of tuition fees by the private schools especially primary and secondary schools. Teachers are now quitting government schools in order to get high salary to earn living’’ he underscored.
At the same note, Cirisio urged the national Ministry of General Education and Instructions to ensure that private schools especially primary and secondary schools refrain from charging high school fees to learners since one cannot make a whole profit in a day.
“I am calling upon the Ministry of General Education to kindly look into this matter critically that is seriously affecting the education system in the Country. This issue of charging high tuition fees per learners is a way of gaining much income in only short period of time. I am appealing to heads of private schools to put special consideration to learners Country wise since our situation has been affected seriously” Cirisio appealed to the national Ministry of General Education.