Tweet
Private schools want $360m from Gov't to stay open
Private schools want $360m from Gov't to stay open
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY, Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
THE Jamaica Independent Schools Association (JISA) is requesting more than $360 million in assistance from Government to keep 64 of its private schools afloat in the upcoming school year.
President of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association Basil Tabbanor told the Observer that the cash-strapped schools, which are among the 200 registered with the association, have been reeling under the impact of the global financial meltdown.
"Most of our schools have seen strong indications that come September they are going to have a significant fall off in population and that is because a number of our parents now coming under pressure as a result of this financial crisis have either lost their jobs or in some cases have had their salaries reduced," Tabbanor said.
"We have put the financial situation for some 64 schools islandwide to the Ministry (of Education)," he added, noting that the number could climb as school officials who were previously reluctant to come forward have since indicated an interest.
"There are several others, who did not come forward at the time we were doing the research because they were not too sure if the assistance would come and as private operators they did not want to reveal the intricate matters concerning their schools unless they were certain," he explained.
Noting that all private schools registered with JISA were determined to keep their doors open come September, Tabbanor said the assistance was not so much to prevent their closure as it was it was to "assist them to ensure that they can maintain operations without cutting staff or make any serious sacrifices in the programmes they are doing".
He said while no definite word has come from the Ministry of Education to date, there is reason to hope.
"We know the Government is equally strapped for cash like us and we are not looking for a handout in terms of cash but there are several other ways independent schools can be assisted without getting a handout," he said, noting that these ranged from loan arrangements with moratoriums to assistance with resources.
"A number of things can happen in terms of easing the pressure on public schools. We as yet have no indications as to when that assistance will be coming our way but it is still not too late, because the Ministry is not in a position to take all our students and house and teach them so there is going to be some final discussions with us in the near future," he noted.
In the meantime, Tabbanor said schools in the parishes of Manchester and St Elizabeth are mainly the ones experiencing difficulties because of the closure of bauxite operations in those areas.
"Belair in Mandeville is one such school and a number of the other private schools around which I don't want to name are either directly or indirectly affected from the shutdown of the major players in the bauxite industry," Tabbanor told the Observer.
He also said the population of a number of private schools in the Corporate Area and St Catherine have also been affected because of job losses and the significant increases some private schools have had to make to their school fees in order to keep afloat.
"As a result, parents are looking at other options, either to move to cheaper private schools or transfer to public schools," he said.
And the JISA President said none of its schools have as yet indicated that they will not be opening their doors come September but for the three which closed their doors in January of this year; two of which have approached the Ministry for assistance.
"We will not now know officially those that will probably be closing their doors in September because they have not suggested that to the Association at this point. September morning really is gonna be the time when we know exactly the full implication of the recession on private schools," he pointed out.
"At this point in time many of the private schools are going to the drawing board, finding creative ways and means to keep their doors open," Tabbanor added.
He said, however, that some institutions in the midst of their crisis would have to increase their fees by as much as 30 or 40 per cent.
"We definitely have to increase fees which is one of the reasons we have approached the Ministry from as early as February with the intention to get some sort of assistance so we could either keep the fees or have minimal increase; some of those schools are gonna have significant increase and that is why what is predicted to happen is a fallout in population," he said.
In the meantime, he said JISA's executive will be meeting to find ways in which it could advise schools on managing their institutions to live out the difficult period and still maintain their standards.
It is estimated that there are some 665 independent schools in Jamaica overall.
BY ALICIA DUNKLEY, Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
THE Jamaica Independent Schools Association (JISA) is requesting more than $360 million in assistance from Government to keep 64 of its private schools afloat in the upcoming school year.
President of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association Basil Tabbanor told the Observer that the cash-strapped schools, which are among the 200 registered with the association, have been reeling under the impact of the global financial meltdown.
"Most of our schools have seen strong indications that come September they are going to have a significant fall off in population and that is because a number of our parents now coming under pressure as a result of this financial crisis have either lost their jobs or in some cases have had their salaries reduced," Tabbanor said.
"We have put the financial situation for some 64 schools islandwide to the Ministry (of Education)," he added, noting that the number could climb as school officials who were previously reluctant to come forward have since indicated an interest.
"There are several others, who did not come forward at the time we were doing the research because they were not too sure if the assistance would come and as private operators they did not want to reveal the intricate matters concerning their schools unless they were certain," he explained.
Noting that all private schools registered with JISA were determined to keep their doors open come September, Tabbanor said the assistance was not so much to prevent their closure as it was it was to "assist them to ensure that they can maintain operations without cutting staff or make any serious sacrifices in the programmes they are doing".
He said while no definite word has come from the Ministry of Education to date, there is reason to hope.
"We know the Government is equally strapped for cash like us and we are not looking for a handout in terms of cash but there are several other ways independent schools can be assisted without getting a handout," he said, noting that these ranged from loan arrangements with moratoriums to assistance with resources.
"A number of things can happen in terms of easing the pressure on public schools. We as yet have no indications as to when that assistance will be coming our way but it is still not too late, because the Ministry is not in a position to take all our students and house and teach them so there is going to be some final discussions with us in the near future," he noted.
In the meantime, Tabbanor said schools in the parishes of Manchester and St Elizabeth are mainly the ones experiencing difficulties because of the closure of bauxite operations in those areas.
"Belair in Mandeville is one such school and a number of the other private schools around which I don't want to name are either directly or indirectly affected from the shutdown of the major players in the bauxite industry," Tabbanor told the Observer.
He also said the population of a number of private schools in the Corporate Area and St Catherine have also been affected because of job losses and the significant increases some private schools have had to make to their school fees in order to keep afloat.
"As a result, parents are looking at other options, either to move to cheaper private schools or transfer to public schools," he said.
And the JISA President said none of its schools have as yet indicated that they will not be opening their doors come September but for the three which closed their doors in January of this year; two of which have approached the Ministry for assistance.
"We will not now know officially those that will probably be closing their doors in September because they have not suggested that to the Association at this point. September morning really is gonna be the time when we know exactly the full implication of the recession on private schools," he pointed out.
"At this point in time many of the private schools are going to the drawing board, finding creative ways and means to keep their doors open," Tabbanor added.
He said, however, that some institutions in the midst of their crisis would have to increase their fees by as much as 30 or 40 per cent.
"We definitely have to increase fees which is one of the reasons we have approached the Ministry from as early as February with the intention to get some sort of assistance so we could either keep the fees or have minimal increase; some of those schools are gonna have significant increase and that is why what is predicted to happen is a fallout in population," he said.
In the meantime, he said JISA's executive will be meeting to find ways in which it could advise schools on managing their institutions to live out the difficult period and still maintain their standards.
It is estimated that there are some 665 independent schools in Jamaica overall.
Comment