Government caps school fees for private schools

The Ministry of General Education and Instructions on Thursday set school fees limit for private learning institutions that have unjustifiably hiked their charges when schools reopened.

 A senior official from the ministry said they have received a lot of complaints from parents across the nation reporting that some private schools were charging very high schools fees.

 Deputy Minister of General Education and Interaction [MoGEI] Martin Tako Moyi (pictured) issued the ministerial order stating that all private schools should charge school fees in South Sudanese Pounds [SSP] only.

“Private schools to charge annual school fees not exceeding SSP80,000 inclusive of all scholastic requirements and for Private boarding schools to charge annual fees not exceeding SSP200’000,” Moyi ordered.

“The school fees to be paid in three instalments within 2020/2021 academic year,” he emphasised

He added the payment for pupil’s extra-curricular activities, such as sports, should be made optional to parents and guardians and also instructed the private schools not have parents-teachers associations [PTA] as requested to institute their PTAs.

“Parents and PTAs are to report to the educational authorities any schools charging excessive fees,” he said.

The ministerial order also stated that all unregistered private and faith based schools to seek registration with the ministry as soon as possible.

“Schools that fail to register may face closure,” he added.

State Ministers of Education have also been directed to implement the directives in the ministerial order

“Actions will be taken against any private and Faith-Bases Schools found to be in contravention of this ministerial order,” Moyi warned.