St-Marys K10, 000 project fee, an injustice - Miti
THE controversial K10, 000 project fee demand per pupil by Lusaka’s St Marys Secondary school management is an injustice and schools do not have a right to make children bear such a punitive cost for capital investment says social commentator Laura Miti. Ms Miti said schools did not have the right to make children bear such an exorbitant cost of capital investment for the construction of a one by eight classroom block from which they would not receive dividends.
She said St. Mary’s Secondary School had children from homes who have never handled K10, 000, as a lump sum which was about four times their yearly school fees.
Commenting on the issue yesterday, Ms Miti questioned the logic behind asking for such an astronomical project fee from pupils which would only benefit the school after they complete school.
“What is the justice in asking current pupils to build school infrastructure by paying a lump sum that is more than thrice the annual school fees, unless each child will be given shares from which they will draw a dividend going forward?,” Ms Miti said.
She said the school should have asked for voluntary donations or achieved its building project through fundraising ventures or got a loan from a bank.
Ms Miti said the K10, 000 project fee demand was a hindrance for pupils to access quality education at St-Marys Secondary School as most of them would be forced to abruptly drop out of school.