WACC calls for private schools to be investigated
August 25, 2020 3:36 am | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Len Garae
All private schools should operate in line with a national standard of education approved by the Ministry of Education which is implemented by highly qualified teachers, to provide a high level of quality education for which parents pay so much money, to benefit their children.
Inspectors employed by the Department of Education must inspect private schools to ensure that all teachers are qualified and registered and all those who are called “teachers” while by trade are either retired bankers or from other non-teaching professions, must be removed as they are not delivering the education expected from parents.
WACC Chairperson Jenny Ligo made the above statement following a four-page letter she and one of the concerned mothers whose child is attending a private Pikinini Playtime, wrote questioning the Director of Education about the running of private schools.
Ligo was impressed by the confidence of the Director of Education who moved quickly to facilitate a meeting to hear their concerns concerning private schools.
Asked to describe the atmosphere of the meeting, she replies, “The Director was prompt and postponed some of his duties in order to listen to our concerns, and I am confident that he will look into our concerns”.
Their letter listed the role of private schools, importance of qualified teachers, rights of a child to education, Ministry of Education Inspectors. Official salaries and the need for a strong Parents Association.
Without naming any private school as a culprit, she says she is concerned that some private schools demand high school fees while some of their teachers may not be qualified to teach. “Then they organise fundraising activities instead of teaching the children, wasting valuable school hours”, she says.
“What we need is for school inspectors to visit all private schools to make sure all teachers are qualified to teach, school buildings and all other facilities in the environment qualify the school to be called a private school”.
