Religious school reintroduce parent contribution

Religious schools reportedly can’t cover their operations with the state subsidy that they receive per child every year which is why they decided to reintroduce the parent contribution for the school year 2018-2019.

Mildred Demon, director at the Evangelical Community of the Moravian Brethren Foundation (EBGS), explained that the subsidy has not been paid on time for the past 4 years and that the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (OWC) does not keep its promises. Demon also explained that the subsidy of SRD 120 per child is not enough to keep a school operational due to the devaluation of the Surinamese dollar. He pointed out that calculations indicate that the schools need at least SRD 406 per child on an annual basis. This figure would also cover the book rent. But many parents can’t afford to pay this much. The EBGS and the Roman Catholic Education (RKBO) have therefore decided to present tariffs that the parents can afford to pay. For the new school year parents whose children go to a religious school will have to pay SRD 300 (primary education), SRD 275 (secondary education junior level) and SRD 300 (lower vocational education). Demon explained that parents who can’t pay the parents contribution can contact the Ministry of Education. “It seems as if we keel ending up in the same circle when it comes to receiving the subsi- dy. We can’t run schools this way which is why we have no other choice than to reintroduce the parent contribution.” Last year the religious schools and the Ministry of Education agreed that 80% of the subsidies would be paid in August and that the remaining 20% would be paid in February. But the schools received the first portion in September while they are still waiting for the remaining 20%.