Parents of pupils at a private school in Florida, the Institute for Quality Collegiate, are furious after their children were sent home from school because their fees were not paid up.
One mother in particular was concerned because her daughter was traumatised and humiliated to such a degree that she suspects her daughter planned to commit suicide.
The mother, who wants to stay anonymous to protect her child, said she came home on Tuesday to find her daughter along with other pupils having been handed letters stating they would not be allowed to return to school unless their fees were paid up. Before they left the pupils in one class allegedly were told to read the letters in front of their class.
“We are only two months in arrears. Anyway, I am the one who owes the fees, not my child. When I came home she was close to hysterics and I found sleeping tablets under her pillow. I shudder to think what she was planning.
“It is also illegal and unconstitutional to deprive children of an education in this manner,” she said.
The school admitted to having sent the children home but defended the move.
“We are having a challenge as we do not receive a government subsidy, so it is imperative that parents pay the fees for their children in order to maintain the functionality of the school. Pupils were asked to call their parents and were told to give the letter to their parents as it was not addressed to pupils,” said the principal Thiru Naidu.
“This action was not a first option but an absolute last resort as we have been appealing for school fees [to be paid] since May last year.
“Parents have responsibilities toward their children; paying their school fees is one of them. The question begs to be asked, ‘why put your child in a private school if you cannot afford the fee?’ Then the Constitution and the Law of the Land is called upon to defend reneging on paying of school fees.
“We wish to apologise profusely to parents who paid yet received letters. This was due to the time of payment as the system we use works according to a cycle and if payments are made after a run, it only reflects on the next cycle,” said Naidu.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) disagrees. According to their spokesperson, Oupa Bodibe, “It is incorrect for the school to deny learners entry into the school for non-payment of school fees. Once an independent school has been registered with the department, a school must not expel or suspend a pupil during an academic year or withhold the pupil’s progress report due to non-adherence to contractual obligations between the parent and the school.
“The school can make payment arrangements with the parent. In the event where the school cannot reach an agreement on contractual obligations, the board of the school may escalate the matter to the department for intervention,” explained Bodibe.
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