Drop in contingency fees likely to impact next term -Headteachers say By Miranda La Rose Stabroek News October 10, 2000 The non-payment of contingency fees in the majority of city schools during this term is expected to impact early in the new term when funds dry up. If provision is not made by the Ministry of Education to meet the needs of nursery, primary and secondary schools next term, the schools could find themselves without vital supplies. This was the general view of headteachers and teachers who reported that the subscription was below average. They all requested anonymity since they are not allowed to speak to the press without the permission of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, Stabroek News has learnt that the Ministry of Education will be seeking an increase in expenditure for materials and supplies for schools in next year's national budget. The majority of nursery schools which Stabroek News contacted during last week noted that they had collected contingency funds before President Bharrat Jagdeo strongly emphasised that such payments were voluntary. The collection rate had been severely affected a few weeks before the president's statement following an Education Ministry circular. Though the Ministry of Education had always insisted that contingency fees were to be paid on a voluntary basis, some schools had made it a compulsory requirement for admission. One nursery school noted that only one parent registering a child at Head Start Nursery had refused to pay, contending that the President had said "not to pay". However, nursery schools declared that the sums collected for registration this year were far less than the previous year or in recent years. One headteacher pointed out that in July, Chief Education Officer Ed Caesar issued guidelines for the contingency funds which suggested $700 for nursery schools on registration, so the collection was based on the ministry's suggestion. In the past, the headteacher said, the contingency was $1,000 on registration and $500 on entering the second year but this no longer applied. Generally, nursery heads observed that at present their schools would have funds for field activities and teaching aids this school term but the funds would not be sufficient for next term. Parents who would have paid contingencies in the second year are no longer paying. The ministry, they said, would have to provide the schools with adequate grants. Grants given so far have been very inadequate. The nursery schools would be able to pay cleaner/sweepers this term but based on funds received they would not be able to next term. Payment of contingencies has also dropped in primary schools even among those rated as leading ones. At one primary school, out of more than 300 registered, less than 150 have paid contingencies. Funds are generally used for sanitation purposes, printing of report books and badges as well as emergencies, among other areas. Other leading primary schools said that while there are a few parents who would never pay, this year that number has increased. Every year one school alone would use several gallons of disinfectant but the ministry has not yet sent any to the schools. Three primary schools said they each received 10 rolls of toilet paper and each school has in excess of 1,200 children. They could not say whether the supply was for the term or for the year. Schools in the depressed areas in the city have been hardest hit. Primaries, community high schools and secondaries in these areas have been affected too. St Pius Primary for instance is one of those affected schools. The primary school pays two sweepers/cleaners as the Education Ministry has not employed any. The school pays the meagre sum of $7,500 per month to each and for the past three years has carried the weight of the wages. Now less than half of the parents have paid the contingencies. Schools in depressed areas have said that some parents have made an effort to pay even though their contribution was small. However, one headteacher noted that if the ministry does not provide money next term the school would have to depend heavily on the very parents who do not want to pay contingencies to raise funds to meet the needs of the school. Some primary schools said that they have received 10 boxes of chalk for the school term but with 800 children and a staff of 32 teachers, one headteacher noted that 10 boxes would only last three weeks. The headteacher said that contingencies were introduced in order to move away from fund-raising activities which took up the time and effort of teachers who had to work even harder than many parents to make the fund-raising effort a success. Another headteacher in a depressed area observed that even if her school should hold fund-raising activities, experience had shown that the catchment area could not raise as much as $100,000 in a well-organised fair. Reports from all the community high schools and the junior secondary schools were the same with their receipts being half or less of what they had been receiving previously. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today