Private Schools reject Gov’t school fees cap advised parents to take their children to schools they can afford.

The South Sudan National Union of Private Schools has rejected the order regulating school fees and has threatened a strike if any private school is shut down.

In a memo dated May, 10 2021 seen by NCMP, The Union mentioned that parents have choices to change the expensive private schools and take their children to schools they can afford including the government schools.

Find the details of the memo below:

“Reference to the above the ministry of general education issued a circular or order to regulate private schools fees signed by deputy minister of general education and instructions honorable Martin Tako Moyi

In his letter, Hon Minister cited that the order came as a result of abundant complaints from parents across the country. He also alleges that the ministry engaged proprietors or owners of the private schools and as a result, he issued the following orders:

1. All private schools to charge school fees in South Sudanese pounds
2. Private schools to charge annual school fees of not exceeding 80.000SSP meaning each term should be probably 26,500SSP
3. Private boarding to charge annual fees of not exceeding 200.000SSP meaning each term boarding should be probably 65.000SSP.

Therefore due to the crisis and uncertainty created by the above order. South Sudan National Union of private schools convened an urgent meeting by all the directors and owners of private schools in Juba on Friday 7° of May 2021 and resolved the followings

1. First and foremost, the deputy minister did not have any meetings with the proprietors of private schools We understand he had a meeting with selected headmasters and PTA chairpersons based on his vested interest.
2. We the private schools are complementary to the government policy on illiteracy eradication, and we are not against our government or the ministry
3. We resolved that we shall not adopt or implement the order for It’s not the mandate of the ministry to fix the school fees in private schools
4. We resolved that parents have choices to change the expensive private schools and take their children to schools they can afford including the government schools
5. We reject the order because it scares away investments
6. The deputy minister will first need to fix the private hospital charges, food prices, and general goods in the shops at markets.
7. We resolved that should this order continue, we will lay down our tools.
8. We call on the deputy minister to rescind his order.
9. Furthermore, we call on His Excellency the vice president of the service cluster and honorable minister of General Education to intervene and question the deputy minister on which logic rationale, and law he got the authority to fix school fees for private schools.
10. We stand to offer quality education to our children across the nation at home so that South Sudanese nationalism in the future is guaranteed.