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-Cost sharing for schools by August
The promise by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to abolish tuition fees at the secondary level has prompted the Government to pay over the first tranche of cost sharing to schools by early August.
This money is usually paid to schools in September. Under the cost-sharing programme, the Government pays 50 per cent of tuition fees while parents are asked to contribute the other 50 per cent.
"We know that they (schools) may need it early and we are not sure what the compliance rate may be like because of the promise of free education, so we are giving them (schools) a portion early enough so they can have it in time for the reopening of schools," Senator Noel Monteith, State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth told The Gleaner yesterday.
Despite Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's announcement Sunday night that the election would be held August 27, one week before the reopening of school, the JLP said it remains committed to abolishing cost sharing if it were to form the next government. The JLP said it would cost just under $1 billion to fund this venture.
The announcement that the fees are to be paid over to schools early was made yesterday at the monthly meeting between the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) and the Ministry of Education and Youth.
Welcome news
Meanwhile, Hopeton Henry, president of the JTA, welcomed the news that schools would receive cost-sharing money early this year.
"This will go a far way in helping schools which would be struggling with funds for start-up," Mr. Henry said.
He also noted that the JLP's promise to abolish fees could affect the compliance rate of payment of fees.
"To come out at this time and bring the issue of cost sharing to the fore will have the issue of stopping the flow of school fees coming from parents," said Mr. Henry.
"This statement alone will put the secondary system in a tail spin," Mr. Henry added.
According to him, parents already owe schools millions of dollars and this could further result in schools having more problems in collecting fees.
"This in my view is going to encourage opportunistic (behaviour) and schools are going to struggle to meet other needs," the JTA boss emphasised.
When contacted, Andrew Holness, Opposition Spokesman on Education said the problem of compliance would not be an issue.
"(Because) the JLP expects to win the next general election so we don't expect to encounter the problem that he (Mr. Henry) foresees," said Mr. Holness.
He said schools depend on fees to pay their bills, among other things and parents should obey the rules and pay tuition fees when schools reopen, adding that a system of refund would be worked out for them.
At the same time, Mr. Holness urged parents to put pressure on the Government to abolish tuition fees, noting that Jamaica is the only Caribbean country that charges fees for students at the secondary level.
In the period leading up to the 2002 general election, former leader of the JLP, Edward Seaga, said his party would make education free if it were to form the next Government.
Then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson announced in the same period that cost sharing would be gradually phased out by 2005. However, this did not happen and parents were instead asked to pay half the tuition costs for their children.
The promise by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to abolish tuition fees at the secondary level has prompted the Government to pay over the first tranche of cost sharing to schools by early August.
This money is usually paid to schools in September. Under the cost-sharing programme, the Government pays 50 per cent of tuition fees while parents are asked to contribute the other 50 per cent.
"We know that they (schools) may need it early and we are not sure what the compliance rate may be like because of the promise of free education, so we are giving them (schools) a portion early enough so they can have it in time for the reopening of schools," Senator Noel Monteith, State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth told The Gleaner yesterday.
Despite Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's announcement Sunday night that the election would be held August 27, one week before the reopening of school, the JLP said it remains committed to abolishing cost sharing if it were to form the next government. The JLP said it would cost just under $1 billion to fund this venture.
The announcement that the fees are to be paid over to schools early was made yesterday at the monthly meeting between the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) and the Ministry of Education and Youth.
Welcome news
Meanwhile, Hopeton Henry, president of the JTA, welcomed the news that schools would receive cost-sharing money early this year.
"This will go a far way in helping schools which would be struggling with funds for start-up," Mr. Henry said.
He also noted that the JLP's promise to abolish fees could affect the compliance rate of payment of fees.
"To come out at this time and bring the issue of cost sharing to the fore will have the issue of stopping the flow of school fees coming from parents," said Mr. Henry.
"This statement alone will put the secondary system in a tail spin," Mr. Henry added.
According to him, parents already owe schools millions of dollars and this could further result in schools having more problems in collecting fees.
"This in my view is going to encourage opportunistic (behaviour) and schools are going to struggle to meet other needs," the JTA boss emphasised.
When contacted, Andrew Holness, Opposition Spokesman on Education said the problem of compliance would not be an issue.
"(Because) the JLP expects to win the next general election so we don't expect to encounter the problem that he (Mr. Henry) foresees," said Mr. Holness.
He said schools depend on fees to pay their bills, among other things and parents should obey the rules and pay tuition fees when schools reopen, adding that a system of refund would be worked out for them.
At the same time, Mr. Holness urged parents to put pressure on the Government to abolish tuition fees, noting that Jamaica is the only Caribbean country that charges fees for students at the secondary level.
In the period leading up to the 2002 general election, former leader of the JLP, Edward Seaga, said his party would make education free if it were to form the next Government.
Then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson announced in the same period that cost sharing would be gradually phased out by 2005. However, this did not happen and parents were instead asked to pay half the tuition costs for their children.
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