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Prime Minister Bruce Golding has instructed schools that are withholding tuition fee refund from parents despite being reimbursed by the government, to immediately pay up or face his wrath.
Speaking at a party conference in his West Kingston constituency Wednesday night, the prime minister said he was annoyed at news that school officials were withholding reimbursements for varying reasons.
"They are using all kinds of rules and some of them are applying pressure to the parents to donate the money to some special fund. Therefore, tomorrow (Thursday) I will be instructing the Ministry of Education to investigate and report to me which schools are breaching the policy that has been laid out by the government.," the Prime Minister said.
The prime minister's disclosure confirmed earlier reports that several schools were using strong-arm tactics to hold on to the money paid by parents.
The free tuition for children up to secondary school level, was a major part of Golding's Jamaica Labour Party campaign leading up to the September 3 polls. Last month, the administration began releasing the first set of funds to schools for reimbursement to parents who had gone ahead and paid their children's tuition fees.
Wednesday night, a tough-talking Golding said if it took personal policing for the monies to be refunded, he would oversee it.
"Because if I have to go to the school myself and sit down and watch them draw the cheque and pay back the parents their money, this money must go back to the parents. We promise them that we will pay and we have put the money there for them to be refunded," the prime minister said.
According to the prime minister, the schools were asking parents to convert the refunds into donations to development and/or other building funds. He said if the parents felt inclined to donate the monies to the schools, it was entirely their business.
".I do not want anybody to say that the Labour Party did not keep its promise," Golding stressed.
Speaking at a party conference in his West Kingston constituency Wednesday night, the prime minister said he was annoyed at news that school officials were withholding reimbursements for varying reasons.
"They are using all kinds of rules and some of them are applying pressure to the parents to donate the money to some special fund. Therefore, tomorrow (Thursday) I will be instructing the Ministry of Education to investigate and report to me which schools are breaching the policy that has been laid out by the government.," the Prime Minister said.
The prime minister's disclosure confirmed earlier reports that several schools were using strong-arm tactics to hold on to the money paid by parents.
The free tuition for children up to secondary school level, was a major part of Golding's Jamaica Labour Party campaign leading up to the September 3 polls. Last month, the administration began releasing the first set of funds to schools for reimbursement to parents who had gone ahead and paid their children's tuition fees.
Wednesday night, a tough-talking Golding said if it took personal policing for the monies to be refunded, he would oversee it.
"Because if I have to go to the school myself and sit down and watch them draw the cheque and pay back the parents their money, this money must go back to the parents. We promise them that we will pay and we have put the money there for them to be refunded," the prime minister said.
According to the prime minister, the schools were asking parents to convert the refunds into donations to development and/or other building funds. He said if the parents felt inclined to donate the monies to the schools, it was entirely their business.
".I do not want anybody to say that the Labour Party did not keep its promise," Golding stressed.
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