Blog 4: Govt to dismiss school heads charging illegal fees

Blog 4: Govt to dismiss school heads charging illegal fees, Deborah Faircloth



     This article reflects the problem of school heads in parts of Africa that are charging illegal fees to students. The government has issued a warning that it will fire or discipline the school officials that attempt to charge these illegal fees. Since 2007, the free Universal Secondary Education program has assisted over 300,000 needy students. The problem is especially severe when the illegal fees are imposed on students who cannot afford them and consequently, they are not allowed to attend school.The types of schools in the USE program are secondary schools, public technical institutes, and even a few private schools. The number of schools included in the USE program is 1,861.

     I believe that there may be a pattern of schools trying to collect illegal fees in parts of Africa. The students struggle in many ways just to receive an education. When there is a lack of access to affordable education it becomes a real social problem. The problems here are the lack of access but also the illegal charging of fees to a supposed free government-supported school. In the article chosen for blog 3, there were also reports of less fortunate refugees from Zimbabwe being charged illegal fees to enter school. Yes, getting an education is worth the cost if one is able. But for those who need assistance, I believe countries should allow everyone access to an affordable education because education is a human right, not just a privilege.






http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/628815-govt-to-dismiss-school-heads-charging-illegal-fees.html