The controversial payment of K10,000 project fee per pupil at St Mary’s Secondary School in Lusaka was approved by the Government through the Ministry of Education, it has been established.
The funds raised from the project fees will go towards the construction of the over K7 million two story classroom block at the school.
Some enraged parents and guardians have bitterly complained about the high fees being charged at St Mary’s with a new Project Fee set at K10,000 for each pupil.
They complained that demanding K10,000 for each pupil on top of the other fees will disadvantage a lot of pupils.
They accused the school management of departing from the focus of the Catholic Church who are owners of the school on poor people.
The school management held a meeting today with officers from the Ministry of General Education and the Parent Teaches Committee after which a press briefing was held where it was said that the school should find a flexible payment system for the project fund.
Ministry of General Education Spokesperson Nondo Chilonga clarified that her Ministry was consulted by the school authorities before implementing the project fees.
Ms Chilongo said the school management has not done anything sinister or outside its mandate because procedure was followed.
She said the issue is a pure agreement between the school administration and parents.
And during the same news conference this morning, St Mary’s Parents Teachers Committee clarified that pupils who fail to pay the project fee will not be sent away.
Committee Chairperson Mabvusu Sinda dispelled reports that the school has started turning away some pupils for failure to pay fees.
Mr Sinda said no pupil was turned away for not paying the K10,000 project fee being demanded from Grades eight and 10.
He explained that the once off payment being implemented among pupils will ensure that the K4 million outstanding balance for the completion of the project is raised.
Tongas and UPND are looking for news like this one
Govt yaba Koswe iyi. Where are the ordinary people going to get the money from. I thought PF was a pro poor party kanshi yaba koswe fye. No wander Fumba is in self exile, Kalaba has resigned, Mulusa has been talking about wheelbarrows and has been fired and Jonathan has lost appetite for travelling for fear of power being usurped from him.
This is what lazy school boards are good at doing just charge pupils! This is infrastructure development a key responsibility for the owners.
Find other innovative ways of raising funds .
Stupid Tribalist
Not right to charge students who will leave at some point after graduating while the church and government remain running the school. Stop abusing people!
Exploiting pupils as if they will be permanent pupils or shareholders and yet they will graduate. If this is true then iam deeply disappointed with not only the school but the archdiocese of Lusaka.. This is rubbish.
Some thing terribly wrong in this country. We take our children to school and pay for their tution but not to start paying for building of schools. If we have to assist building the school, it must be voluntary and not being forced. This is absolutely unjustified from which ever angle you look at it. Somebody somewhere must stop this rot please
Also there is a fo0l who has already gone tribal on this issue.
This is neither the first time nor incidence in the country. Its being going on in many places and in different versions in Zambia for a long time. Apart from schools, it happens in churches and social clubs. At the same centre, Mary Queen of Peace classroom blocks were built through similar exploitative measures some years ago and I am not surprised there has not been an end to it.
Churches demand exorbitant contributions from its poor flock for building projects apart from maintaining its clergy. UCZ expects its new Synod centre in Woodlands to be entirely funded by congregants! Other than for reasons of expensive capital in Zambia, pure greed is at the heart of all this …
Is this not the same school that wanted to build a shopping mall? I remember if not mistaken ZEC spokesperson defending the mall project that it would help raise funds for the school projects and parents were against the idea and even proposed to continue supporting the school. If K10,000 is what it takes to build better infrastructure for better education, let the parents pay. Moreover, its only the grade 8 and 10, those who don’t manage let them go to other schools. I am sure the school management is not mad to suggest such a fee, they know their customers (school is business too). As Zambians we seem to complain at almost everything. Things are becoming expensive and you can’t continue with the old ways of doing things. The only suggestion is for the school to allow flexible payments…
One embec!le above. You are busy writing nonsense and yet your next door neighbor is also busy bonking your wife.
It is government’s responsibility to do capital projects like classroom construction. It should not be coming from the pupil’s school fees.
Bakoswe zoona
Following procedure does not justify a wrong.
@malasan. It’s u am talking about. Get a life swine
Yaba, I see no purpose in paying a thousands when the curriculum is the same. People move their kids to private schools as if we don’t have successful people who attended government schools. Am glad they all end up at the University of Zambia, Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University, Evelyn Hone College, Natural Resources Development College (NRDC), Chalimbana University or National Institute Of Public Administration (NIPA) regardless. No
special higher education for selected few in Zambia
The project is a PTA project. When it was started I attended the PTA meeting and it was resolved to pay K800 per pupil per term. During the December 2016 PTA a proposal to raise the amount to K4,350 there about was brought and it was taken to a vote. The PTA voted to continue at K800 per term per pupil making it K2,400 per year. The Head Teachers cleverly(which is immoral disregarding the vote) imposed the K4,350 per year there about which was being paid in 2017. So the K10,000 if it followed procedure should have been agreed in the 2017 PTA meeting and not the Ministry of Education since it is a PTA PROJECT. Considering the immorality of the Head Teacher which is by the way discrediting the entire Catholic Church, She could have imposed the K10,000 for selfish reason. I must say parents…
Urgently reorganise the board to reflect the majority of the students, it seems marginalization of the poor is creeping in.
The project is a PTA project. When it was started I attended the PTA meeting and it was resolved to pay Considering the immorality of the Head Teacher which is by the way discrediting the entire Catholic Church, She could have imposed the K10,000 for selfish reason. I must say parents were committed to supporting the project but in s sustainable manner. K10,000 is just st.upid
Pro poor PF govt for you people!!
PARENTS ATTENDED PTA MEETING… AGREED TO PAY K10,000….
Parents are immoral
Ukutumpa.dont even blame Pf government but few selfish catholic members and the clergy running the school.
Find other means of raising money for this project. Whom do you want to impress.
Imwe bantu K10,000 is just US$1000. look at where the school is located its in Kabulonga. If you struggle to find ka ten pin. you think its every one. Am sure they school has put in measures for the orphans & brainy vulnerables. by looking for sponsorship. in my opinion its fine.
I look forward to a day when government will repossess schools from churches.
Backward idea. KK did some of that in the past. Government repossessed missionary run schools and literally killed some very wonderful schools and supporting infrastructures like health facilities. The mission outpost setup concept was very robust. I like the missionary position.
Ama private schools mwatemwa so that you can boost to your friends ati ama levels. This is a private school and unfortunately the parents through the PTA are complicity. That is the problem of Zambian parents shunning PTA meetings and complaining after certain decisions are made. Take an interest in your children’s education.. If the school administration and the PTA agree, there is nothing the government can do but rubber stamp your decision.
What is the Archbishop of Lusaka, Ba T. Mpundu, position on this?
Why is no one questioning whether that structure is worth 7 million or 7 billion unrebased.People in construction industry advise
Typical government reaction when they approve without reading the details and asking critical questions. Looks like no consultation with stakeholders. Or you may have a PTA with people who do not consult their people before going to a meeting to pass. Remember the chief of Police inducting Chinese into the Police force then rescinding the decision? I cannot believe the chief of police despising the party and the president and yet keeping his job and no public reprimand. Do not keep people who put the party and presidency in negative reflection because they tend to spread their stupid behavior to others. especially when there are no consequences.
A govt of lazy reckless beggers has no moral right approve such a tax on poor parents…what ever happened to fundraising events at this school like braiis and dances we used to look forward as boys to St Marys dance.
…no one will be chased for failure to pay..?….so the payment of K10,000 is voluntary….??
People, don’t forget that the owners of these catholic schools have no children to worry about and they are all single.
I can’t believe this.
Followed procedure for what and for whose benefit? Wrong is wrong. We need the Ministry to interven and not support ifyabupuba. Muchinje!!!!!
K10,000 is just too much for the so-called school fees or user fees.
Infrastructure development is never a babe of the learners or parents. Those children will not even enjoy that so-called mega structure of theirs. They will leave with no share from the proceeds.
Pathetic and disastrous to say the least.
Pliz pipo dont pay let them look elsewhere for that money. No child will be chased from school for not paying that colossal amount you have heard it for yourself.
If you have that kind of money as a parent just donate towards cholera and save a life or two.
I end here!
This is too much no no no no. Bane if you can not beat them join them or leave them. The choice is yours.
Maybe one needs to visit Mpunde Girls Kabwe Rural to find out why the sister ran away from there
Some thing terribly wrong in this country. We take our children to school and pay for their tution for them to learn but not to start paying for building of schools. If we have to assist building the school, it must be voluntary and not being forced. This is absolutely unjustified from which ever angle you look at it. Somebody somewhere must stop this rot please
This racket of making pupils build school blocks and sometimes entire schools for the owners has gone too far. This is the responsibility of the owners. Pupils are only supposed to pay tuition, library fee etc. Infrastructure development is for the owners. Thinking it the otherway, would any one pay a down payment for a construction of a wall or an extra bedroom to the landlord on a rented house in addition to rent? This is a hang over from the second Republic when there was an illusion that schools were publicly owned and therefore the paying public could help construct schools. For all private schools capital investment is the owners responsibility. The paying public do not take any profits or an ownership stake and therefore should not pay for infrastructure. This is extortion.
Are the pupils going to become share holders in the St. Mary’s Secondary School Limited?
What has happened to the building of the Catholic Mall near the school?
Zambia’s education is very expensive yet it still lags behind and no institution is in Zambia is among the best in the whole world despite the exorbitant fees they charge. Education is an investment that is becoming unbearable in this country. Govt should not allow these private institutions to go on reaping off people through education business. But again govt has failed to provide affordable education for the citizens and hence they see no wrong in these private owned schools charging huge fees. Chabulanda saana!
BAKA BOLALA IMWE USING CHURCH TO STEAL FROM IGNORANT CITIZENS AND CALL THAT DEVELOPEMENT
pSt Mary’s High School PTA have turned into an institution for the elite
Dear Editor,
I am an orphan and go to St Mary’s Secondary School in Kabulonga. I am supported by my uncle and auntie for my studies.
I am one of the brightest students at the school.
But the school fees have become increasingly expensive. The demand for K5000.00 last year and now K10,000 building Fund for 2018 is unaffordable.
We have not recovered from paying last year’s fees and now we are being requested to pay this money of about K13,900.00 including school fees.
Whether the amount is being paid upfront or in installments does not matter as it remains unaffordable.
I thought this was a catholic school, a church renowned for its support for the weak, the needy, the disadvantaged, the underprivileged, the…
What happened to fundraising for such projects?
Dull chaps running affairs on peoples heads
Ministry of General Education Spokesperson Nondo Chilonga clarified that her Ministry was consulted by the school authorities before implementing the project fees.
So how did the Government approve the K10,000 project fee per pupil (heading is wrong Ba Lusaka-Chi-kala -Times
Granted it is a private school and obviously government has little or no say on their fees, this is still unacceptable. The government’s row must be to protect its citizenry not just to say yes to everything. Capital projects of a private school should be at the cost of the owners. I thought that ministry rep. should have emphasised that point! I hope the parents take action on this especially if it was not even agreed in their PTA meeting for 2017. The problem with the some of us maybe to look down at whoever will be protesting this day light ‘cheat’,thats the issue with some Zambians forgetting that even the very rich refuse to ‘waste’ money unjustifiably!
Even the construction of poor roads the procedure was followed
Even in Ndola Diocese Bishop Alick Banda is busy stealing SEMINARIAN FUND AT K 8000.OO PER CITENTE
The cry in this country of everyone being poor and failing to realize that capital projects are not cheap and the fact that the current infrastructure at the school is insufficient due of course to population growth is actually being selfish and dishonest on the part of the parents . The current infrastructure childrean are enjoying now was built on the sacrifice of others long gone . Each generation should sacrifice for future generations to come . My honest advice to St Mary’s school authority Is to strictly admitt Catholics only to this school and they a millions out there . Other faiths should open there own schools period . The time has come for Catholics and there proud school records to stand up and be counted . Let other faiths open there own schools leave catholic schools…