By Bida Elly David
Another bitter saga has transpired against the national Ministry of Education and Instructions as parents to candidates at primary and secondary levels criticized the ministry against heavy post education fees for candidature qualification.
Last week, the national ministry of general education and instructions mandated the National examination Council to conduct post education registration for all candidates enthusiastic to undertake Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) imposing different segments of fees to public and private schools across the Country.
The mandate was declared compulsory to all candidates who bear a clear will to sit for the final examinations guided with set of guidelines determining the possibility to sit for the papers.
Despite the announcement made, some parents were discontented with the news concerning the matter and defined it as a contradicting mandate following charges that school administrations make on academic attainment by their children.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper over the weekend, Cicilia Roba a mother to five candidates at one of the public schools in Juba rubbished the charges announced by the government terming it to be a day robbery.
She criticized the ministry of general education on the unheeded policy of free education to children across the Country yet collecting fees from schools.
“I am not happy with the new charges government imposed on our children preparing for primary and secondary leaving exams,” she said.
“We are paying school fees and meeting many demands by the schools our children undertake academics from. The same government saying that children should not be charged school fees because education is free today asks for fees. What kind of government is this? They should stop confusing people just to gain money,” she said.
The parent underscored that it was the role of the ministry to have paused school administrations from imposing high fees on learners not them at the high authority.
“Our Country is in dilemma of confusion and terror as leaders who work for our sake turn their back against us with stones on us. The Ministry of Education would have warned schools from taxing students highly. More than 4,000 South Sudanese pounds is too big for parents having more than two kids in schools,” she said
Meanwhile Simaya John, another parent appreciated the policy but blamed them (Ministry) for having introduced it at a wrong time when civil servants are oppressed due to delayed salaries.
“As a father, I am not against the policy but these policy makers would have introduced it at a right moment where smiles are put on our faces,” he said.
“It is a good policy to boost learning and promote our government but we are mostly fighting to feed these kids to study well. Let them revise this policy,” he appealed.
He suggested that there’s need to introduce mock exams to test the potential of the candidates before the final exams rather than collecting fees for the same exams which have already been paid for by far.