Lawmakers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state have directed the minister of education to lower primary school examination fees after a public outcry over increases.
The state’s Legislative Assembly summoned Minister of General Education and Instruction Akoon Diing Angok on Wednesday.
The assembly’s outgoing spokesman, Garang Kuol Mabior, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the minister was directed to maintain the original fees set by the National Ministry of General Education and Instruction in Juba.
The national ministry had set fees at 120,000 South Sudanese pounds for private schools and 80,000 pounds for public schools. But Mabior said schools had raised those amounts to 250,000 pounds for private schools and 200,000 pounds for public schools.
“We have revoked the plan and the minister has accepted the directives,” Mabior said.
The move was praised by Kon Deng Kon, chairperson of the state’s teachers Union, who said the union had brought the matter to the assembly. He referred to a national government circular that prohibits adding to the set fees.
A member of the Parent-Teacher Association, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said many guardians cannot afford the increased fees and demanded that any overpayments be reimbursed.
A source within the state education ministry, who was not authorized to speak to the press, confirmed the minister attended the parliamentary session and was directed to inform all schools to lower the fees. The source named City of Glory, King Solomon International and Cornerstone Visionary Academy as among the private schools that had charged the higher fees.