2014News

Battle over school fees

Minister of Education Carlos Amarante Baret has called on Parents’ Associations at the country’s private schools not to sit back and accept tuition increases. He stated that in order for any school fee hikes to be legal, they had to be approved by the school’s Parents Association as well as the ministry. He added that through the Educational Centers Accreditation Department, the Ministry is the final arbiter on tuition at private schools. He told reporters from El Nuevo Diario and other newspapers that he would hold a meeting with representatives from private school Parents’ Associations on 21 May. Amarante Baret also referred to a ministry document called “The Ministry of Education’s position on the announced increases in tuition in private schools”. The main points of the document include: No parent is obliged to accept a tuition increase that has not been approved by the Ministry of Education. This statement is followed by three conditions: Signed letter from the Parents’ Association specifying the date of the meeting when the increase was agreed; a complete description of the size and coverage of the school, and a balance sheet of the school showing income and expenses for the previous year.