TWENTY-EIGHT pupils whose fees have not been fully paid for their private school tuition have been banned from the classroom this term and are left sitting at home without the opportunity to continue their education, claimed MPs.
Parents of the students have come forward to Parliament yesterday urging solutions to either have their children continue at their private establishment of choice or are provided with urgent written clearance to transfer to alternative free government schools.
MPs claimed that there were more cases as anxious families have made contact by email and telephone but they have still to produce written evidence.
A parliamentary proposal presented last week by five MPs, led by Mohammed Al Marafi, would give parents the chance to find the money throughout the whole academic year rather than on a monthly or term-by-term basis, as reported in the GDN.
“Since the proposal was publicised, we received actual documentation for 28 pupils, who are now sitting at home,” Mr Al Marafi told the GDN.
“One of the cases, which was presented, is that of a Grade Six girl whose school has refused to provide transfer clearance to attend intermediate education because the parents have still not settled the accumulated fees owed,” he added.
“It is, however, a constitutional obligation that students get schooling from Grade 1 to Grade 12.
“When there are financial issues, children shouldn’t be punished.
“We have received numerous calls from parents and fully expect the number of pupils affected to increase.
“Some schools are lenient and flexible when it comes to the payment of school fees but there are many others who are not.”
Mr Al Marafi said that plans are already underway to launch a probe into the issue when Parliament reopens next month for the second term after the summer recess.
“All involved parties who have contributed to children losing out on their education will face the consequences,” he warned.
MPs earlier said they were keen to prevent exclusions and embarrassment caused to the children for financial situations they were not responsible for.
Mr Al Marafi added that some pupils in private schools, whose parents were unable to pay fees on time, for one reason or another, have been subjected to stigma, disciplinary action or punishment that includes prevention from sitting exams or tests.
He also claimed he and other MPs had been bombarded by calls from concerned parents whose children had either been sent back home, forced to sit in a library or in administrative offices at the start of the new academic year because they still owed money for the term ahead.
The MPs said they are not being unreasonable and appreciate that private schools need to be paid to cover running and staff costs. Their proposal states: “The contract with the school would clearly point out a more flexible payment format. However, should payments not be cleared at the beginning of the following academic year, the student’s name could be removed if no settlement can be reached with the parents, in the presence of Education Ministry officials.”
Around 90,000 students started the new academic year in 80 private schools earlier this month.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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