The dangerous mix of politics and education
Education Minister Ruel Reid’s warning of “drastic sanctions” for any school that does not comply with the Government’s new funding policy rang a tone which we do not imagine many principals will merrily receive.
This is a complex issue and no course of action will be without consequence. When schools are allowed to demand uncapped amounts from parents, oftentimes they cannot afford it and consequently students are denied of the full spectrum of education in the short term. There are students who have been denied participation in extra-curricular activity and school events because of non-payment of auxiliary fees in the past.
Conversely, capping the amount a school can demand could lead to schools lacking the resources to achieve the highest quality of education – which would see students suffering in the long run.
It cannot be repeated enough that this is not an easy issue. We would encourage Minister Reid not to politicise the issue. However, it is the sad reality of the democratic power squabble that, regardless of what he does, many will take politically polarised positions.
Nevertheless, there are a few things that teenAGE believes can be acknowledged by both sides. Firstly, and we don’t believe anyone rejects this: no child must be denied education because the parents cannot pay fees. Secondly, parents must try their hardest to make any sort of contribution within their capability to the institution which will forge their child into valuable members of society. We encourage parents to contribute, even if they must offer up whatever skills or time they can spare to the school. Thirdly, $20,000 isn’t exactly an ungenerous cap. We echo Minister Reid’s reminder that schools must be moral and ethical in how they charge students and parents. This also means that non-paying students must not be victimised – as has happened in the past. Fourthly, schools are not villains, and indeed many school boards complete the thankless task of managing difficult students (as well as producing stellar ones) on budgets which are far from ideal. They must be commended and recognised for this.
And finally, something which all may not be able to agree with: the adversarial manner in which this most serious of discussions has occurred is downright shameful and demeans the gravity of the issue which confronts us. If the children suffer when parents squabble, students surely suffer when the ministry and principals bicker in public.