Directors say school admission fee should be optional

Education directors have called for the N$10 school admission application fee to be made optional, warning that some parents may struggle to afford it. This is despite the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture allowing schools to charge a fee not exceeding N$10 to cover administrative costs. The fee is contained in the ministry’s circular for the 2027 school admission, which permits government, private and subsidised schools to charge up to N$10 for admission forms. “We are aware of the administrative costs and its implications on the school budget and on that basis, schools may charge a small fee not exceeding N$10 to cover administrative costs,” the circular reads. Kunene education director Sophia Fredericks on Sunday said paying for an admission form should be optional because not all parents can afford it. “Imagine parents who have more than one child. They may not be able to afford it. So the fee should be optional because even so it does not guarantee admission,” she said. She said schools found charging more will be dealt with in line with the Public Service Act. Fredericks urged schools to charge within the approved fee, and not pressure parents who may not be able to afford it. “I understand application forms require duplicating papers, ink, and others, but we should bear in mind that there are parents struggling to even put food on the table for their children,” she said. Hardap education director Paul Lewin says children should not be denied the right to education because of N$10. He says parents who cannot afford to pay the fee should not be sent away, but given a chance to apply for their children. “You cannot deny a child an opportunity to get schooling. If I hear that, I will be very upset. Even if there are 100 children whose parents cannot pay, I will pay for them from my pocket when I can. Life is already tough for us directors, imagine parents who do not work,” he says. Lewin says schools found charging more than what is permitted will face ‘serious’ consequences, adding that his office is strict when it comes to schools not complying with the law. Khomas regional education director Paulus Nghikembua is urging the public to report schools charging above the approved fee. “If there is any school charging more than the permitted maximum of N$10, please let us know,” he says. The Namibian has visited several different schools around Windhoek to find out much they are charging for admission fees. Schools like Windhoek High School, Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School, and Eros Primary School are charging within the approved admission fee, however, some private schools are charging N$100 for an application. The circular strictly includes all schools, including private schools. The ministry’s executive director Erastus Haitengela yesterday said schools asking more for an application form should be reported to their circuit inspector or the regional directors. Other regions’ education directors could not be reached at the time of going to print. The post Directors say school admission fee should be optional appeared first on The Namibian .