A Facebook user has taken time to express great discontent over a raise in the cost of registration fees for students attending Eden Primary School in Santa Elena Cayo. In a post on the Facebook page, Belize Business Review, the user notes the following:
“My blood is boiling!!! Eden Primary in Santa Elena Cayo raised their registration fee from $40 to $110 for returning students and from $60 to $ 130. They even told parents that if anything is posted on facebook that their child’s contract would be canceled. In their rule book they stated that it would be unethical. Need i say that unethical is what they are doing to these parents. Times are hard, we are witnessing the struggle of our people daily. Raising school fees by a little wud have hurt , taking it up so much is going in for the kill!! Attached is a copy of what was given to parents.”
Parents are complaining that the increase is extremely steep and there is no justification for it. They tell us that they have since tried to get clarification from the school however it is to no avail. They say they have sought a breakdown of the charges and have been unsuccessful in receiving it. A flyer we have received simply states that the fee is “all inclusive.”
The discontent by parents goes beyond the raise as they say a policy on the school’s handbook prohibits them from complaining. The policy reads as follows:
“Social Media policy
A parent or student shall in no way ridicule the school or any staff member on social media. This is considered unacceptable and unethical. Please note that this behaviour, or even condoning this behaviour, can result in the termination or annulment of an academic contract.”
While raising the issue of a fee increase may not necessarily be ridiculing the school, parents feel that if they do so, their children may suffer the consequences. They express the concern that the raise could not have come at a more difficult time when many parents are struggling to make ends meet.
All Inclusive cost to education
Eden Seventh Day Primary School principal, Sharon Lopez, has reached out to The Guardian to clarify concerns that have been raised by parents on their increase in school fees. The principal explains that while the increase in the fees seems a bit steep, the fees will cover every possible expense that the school would ordinarily seek funding for. Some of these include bathroom fees, sundries, exam fees and the like. In the past the school would also hold rag days to supplement their income. These will no longer take place.
The principal added that the school is offering a 10% discount if full payment is made before June 7th for the upcoming school year. She added that if parents cannot afford to make payments they offer working scholarships to be able to attend school.
She went on to say that there has also been an increase in the price that parents pay for pre school children but explained that the increase is $3.00 and that it is added for sanitation purposes.