… as debate rages whether or not to pay for school materials
KEETMANSHOOP/WINDHOEK – The //Karas Education Directorate is investigating a school principal for demanding stationery from parents, primarily because some of the government supplied stationery is of poor quality.
In Windhoek the Minister of Education, Dr David Namwandi, has described as “uncalled for” the practice by certain public schools to still demand, in a formalised manner, that parents buy stationery for their children or they would be left out of the school programme.
The principal is said to have sent a formal communication to parents demanding stationery, in which one of the reasons given is the poor quality of the pencils. The principal also asked that money previously paid as school fees be given this year as a donation to the school.
The incident has been confirmed by the Director of Education in the //Karas Region, //Awebahe //Hoeseb, who told New Era that a complaint has been laid against the principal in question. The rollout of the universal free primary education policy means that no public school should compel parents to pay school fees or buy stationery, but schools can still appeal for donations without conditions attached from the parents who are able to make donations.
“Yes, the inspector is dealing with it and is handling it as a clear-cut issue and we, the regional office, will have no other choice but to ask [the principal] to retract that communication,” //Hoeseb said, adding that parents are generally not assertive enough to take up incidents like this with the authorities, but simply go ahead and give in to such requests.
//Hoeseb emphasised last week at the principals’ meeting held in Keetmanshoop that principals who request parents, care-givers and guardians to buy stationery or to contribute to the remuneration of teachers appointed by school boards is making themselves guilty of a crime and that it will be dealt with as such.
One Windhoek public school had some parents furious, claiming the school is charging parents for school funds and stationery, going as far as setting up a mobile stationery shop at the school.
“I am disheartened. The directives are straight forward that we have introduced universal primary education. I was under the impression that it was adhered to that no parent must pay for school fees and stationery for primary education. Just to find out this morning that some schools are still charging parents. Parents were paying for stationery. I couldn’t believe it,” fumed Minister of Education Dr Namwandi who yesterday morning visited some schools around Windhoek.
He went on to say, “I give a directive again that this trend should come to an end. No parent should be charged for what government is already providing, unless they voluntarily want to help the school.”
He however clarified that government never prohibited a parent from give money to a school if he or she so wishes.
“We said education is a shared responsibility. But what is prohibited is to formalise it to say if your child is not bringing this or that with, then no school, or no report for them. That is a crime. There should not be any confusion about universal primary education,” he said.
By Jemima Beukes and Albertina Nakale