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Thursday, August 08, 2013 | 9:10 AMKINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites is reminding parents that the auxiliary fee charged by schools is mandatory and required for the upkeep of the school.“The auxiliary fees are not optional. They are absolutely essential for everyone…(It) is each family’s or household’s direct contribution towards the cost of the school delivering education to your child,” Thwaites said.He was addressing the NCB Employees Co-operative Credit Union’s 2013 Treasure Chest Solid Goal Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) awards ceremony, held at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston on Thursday August 7.Thwaites pointed out that while the Government provides $11,500 for every student for tuition, pays all the salaries, and gives various grants to the schools, it costs well over $120,000 for the State and the school to offer a year’s education at the high school level, which varies depending on the school.He said that while schools did better last year than before, “we are still missing about one third of the auxiliary fees that schools expect to collect and must collect in order to meet their regular expenses.”“So, I’m really asking for people to take this even more seriously this year and we ask schools to be considerate, that if it can’t be paid all at one time, to give time to pay. This is an obligation which should be given priority in the household budget,” the education minister emphasised.He urged parents who are having difficulties paying their auxiliary fees at one time, to visit the school and set up a payment system with the Principal or the Bursar and stick to their commitment.“Parents, if you go to a school to set up a payment arrangement, and you are disregarded or you are hassled, you can tell me and tell the Ministry of Education, but parents must pay their child’s auxiliary fee at school or under the payment arrangements that they have agreed with,” Thwaites said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver
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Education minister urges parents to pay auxiliary fees
