Private schools want more $$

VICE President of the Private Schools Association Anthony Mc Collin yesterday questioned the Education Ministry’s reluctance to meet its demand for payment of $5,700 instead of $1,200 per term for students. He said it costs government between $7,000 to $10,000 to educate a child in denominational and government schools.

Mc Collin said the association found “strange” the ministry’s position that private schools are making an unreasonable request when the increase is still less than what it costs to educate a child in other schools.

“I think it is a clear issue of unwillingness and a lack of political will to do what is right and what is just. What distinguishes a child from receiving a $5,700 education to one who gets a $10,000 education? What does a child have to do to receive a $10,000 education? If not, why is the ministry so reluctant to meet us at $5,700,” Mc Collin asked.

He said the association is in a financial crisis since now, month end, tuition fees for this term have not been paid. He added that the association is not sure what is going to take place with the intake of new students for the 2018/2019 school year.

“We have approached successive governments about increasing the fees and no one seems to have the political will to actually move forward and have a Cabinet Note done. I don’t want people to feel we are moving forward with this at a time when there is an economic crisis in TT. If there is an economic crisis, the private schools are feeling it the most.

“At present, the organisation is stretched. There are bills to be paid and teachers need to be paid. The response from the ministry is to hold on. But how much longer? Our claims have been submitted weeks now.”

Mc Collin said that since 2005, the fee has not been adjusted from $1,200 per child a term. Private schools, he said, takes in approximately 3,000 students annually.

Commenting on the issue in a statement yesterday, Caroni East MP and former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh blamed Education Minister Anthony Garcia.

He claimed “decline and decay” of the education system under Garcia.

“Mr Garcia’s characteristic tardiness has led to scores of SEA students being unsure of placements at private secondary schools.

“The Minister has ignored fervent pleas for a revision of the inadequate stipend paid to members of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Private Secondary Schools, to the point where the frustrated school operators are declining further student intakes.”