Amid growing concerns over privately-run schools increasing tuition fees for the upcoming academic year, some parents whose children attend Stella Maris Preparatory in St Andrew say the new charges have left them in “an uncomfortable position”. In fact, one mother has likened the increases to a noose around her neck.

Earlier this week Stella Maris notified parents of school fee increases in an e-mail, stating that this decision was primarily based on the significant salary hikes given by the Government to public sector teachers.

According to Stella Maris, parents or guardians with children enrolled in the school’s nursery or pre-kinder programmes are expected to pay $142,500 per term as opposed to the $95,500 that was required in the last academic year. The fees for kinder one to grade six are now $146,500 per term, coming from $105,500. There are three terms in each academic year.

Calls made on Wednesday to the phone number listed online for Stella Maris went unanswered.

While noting that “this is an unprecedented increase”, the school said the decision to increase teachers’ salaries is necessary.

However, parent Lounette Whyte told the Jamaica Observer that the increased tuition fees are absurd and may end badly for the Roman Catholic Church-run school.

“It is ridiculous and I think they are driving a very hard bargain. I also believe that, like during COVID, they are going to lose a lot of students,” Whyte said.

She argued that given the current financial climate and its effects on parents, a smaller increase would have been justifiable.

“Now, as it stands, I don’t believe that a lot of the parents there can afford that high increase. I would understand if they had increased it by $10,000 or $15,000, but over $40,000 is crazy. We are not even getting a raise in pay,” she lamented.

At the same time, she told the Observer that removing her child from the school may not be the right move.

“Considering that she is going into grade five, I think it is going to be a little difficult to uproot her from that environment and move her somewhere, so we’re going to end up having to find the ways and means to pay the school fees. It is like they have a noose around our necks because it is going to be hard to move her. So we are going to have to find a way, maybe find a second job or hustle on the side,” said Whyte.

Orion Aitken, whose toddler is enrolled in the school’s pre-kinder programme, also expressed disapproval of the increase. He said that while an adjustment in the fees was expected, the new costs are “in alignment with what most people are paying at tertiary institutions”.

“While I understand and agree that our teachers require better pay, there must also be some consideration given to the affordability of parents. A near $50,000 increase on the per-term tuition feels exorbitant, especially in a time where the cost of living is seemingly increasing month over month,” said Aitken.

He also criticised the school’s argument that the financial capabilities of parents were taken into account when the increases were determined. According to him, some middle-income parents are working hard to pool their resources to ensure that their children receive the best education possible.

“While they stated that due diligence was done, I don’t think it was. What about the parents who have two kids there? I am not saying an increase shouldn’t have happened, given the circumstances that they said; I just don’t believe it was a justified increase,” Aitken said.

Another parent, who requested anonymity, told the Observer that some parents have been seeking ways to foot the additional cost since learning of the increase on Tuesday afternoon.

“Parents are saying that they may have to scale back on the private lessons that their children would normally do. Also, like in any other school, you may contribute to the school or have a little fund-raiser that you support, parents are now saying that for this new amount, don’t expect too much from them outside of this obligation,” the parent explained.