Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator

President of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica Sylvester Anderson is suggesting free tuition should only be afforded to students on passing their exams. - file

President of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica, Sylvester Anderson, is suggesting free tuition should only be afforded to students on passing their exams.

This, he said, would force parents to ensure their children's attendance at school and that they apply themselves to their lessons.

"Parents should only be exempted from paying their children's tuition fees once a student has passed the examinations," Anderson told The Gleaner. He suggested "the present arrangement could make the parents and the students complacent." It will be the responsibility of the parents to see that their children attend school and actually sit their exams."

He added further that abolishing the tuition fee will have long-term benefits for Jamaica.

"Those parents who cannot afford to send their children to school can do so now," said Anderson. "More Jamaican children will have the opportunity to pursue secondary education."

The impact of this move will be felt across the board, Anderson added.

Giving parents some savings

"To start with, it will definitely give the parents some savings," he said. "The money that they would be spending on the tuition can now be used to purchase textbooks."

This initiative would cost the Government approximately $900 million.

"That's an additional amount over and above what was originally provided in the budget when it was passed in April," Prime Minister Bruce Golding said in a press briefing earlier this week. "What the Ministry of Education will now do is to have discussions with the Ministry of Finance regarding a payment schedule that will meet the obligations of schools,"

Anderson, who is also immediate past president of Meadowbrook High PTA and a member of the PTA at Jamaica College, said there should be no cause for worry for the schools to recover the costs,

"So long as the Government honours its commitment," he said.

The National PTA president added that the parents should be appreciative of the government's initiative as "there cannot be any excuse of not sending the children to school".

He added: "Parents will be paying for the development fund, security, and purchase of items that schools need to buy."

Prime Minister Golding has said a mechanism and timetable were being worked on for the payment of refunds. The procedure to be established is expected to be announced by Monday.

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com