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alexk
Guest
One week before schools reopen after the July-August vacation, the issue of the fee paid by Government for students remains unresolved.
In the latest development yesterday, the Association of Principals of Private Secondary Schools has rejected an increase of $2400 from Minister of Finance Colm Imbert, saying they are not prepared to accept the offer for the one year proposed by the Government.
The association yesterday met with Imbert and members of a committee, including Education Minister Anthony Garcia, at which time the Government offered to increase the fee paid for students placed in the private secondary schools from $1200 to $3600, a $2400 increase.
But association spokesman Anthony Mc Collin told the T&T Guardian the new proposed $3600 per student per term was “unacceptable,” because the schools are in debt and the religious organisations and private individuals who have been assisting financially just “cannot afford to carry the burden anymore”.
He said Imbert has suggested they accept the offer for one year “and that they will continue meeting with us and audit more schools to come up with an acceptable figure that we all can work with. But we rejected that as well because we cannot continue with this uncertainty”.
Mc Collin said the reality is that with the $3600 “we have another year of debt and that is another serious concern and we have no more money to inject in the schools”.
Mc Collin said in response to the $3600 offer from Government, they counter proposed a $5,000 fee for four years and the Imbert “ has indicated he will try to get back to us by tomorrow (Friday) with a response.”
The association was due to hold a meeting with parents of private school students last evening at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, when Mc Collin said they were to disclose all the information from the four meetings held with Imbert on the issue to date and the latest offer.
Earlier this year, the APPSS submitted a document to the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Finance indicating it costs $5700 per term to educate a child. The Government currently pays $1200.
Efforts to contact Imbert on the matter were unsuccessful yesterday as he did not answer calls to his cell phone.
Mc Collin said with school due to start in a week they remain optimistic there will be a resolution to the issue. If not, he said some of the schools may have to close their doors.