Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah has warned school administrators against the hiking of graduation fees across the country. Minister Jallah’s warning comes in the wake of complaints filed to the ministry over rising costs of graduation fees. Addressing journalists at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Jallah threatened to close and revoke the operational permits of schools caught in the act.
She disclosed that the approved graduation fee for public schools is L$5,000, and not more than US$100 for private or faith-based schools. Minister Jallah emphasized that schools charging above these fees will face strict penalties ranging from fines to revocation of permits or closure.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has initiated a nationwide registration process for all schools. The process began on August 1, 2024, and will continue until August 31. Minister Jallah listed registration fees for public schools as follows: Early Childhood, 3,500 LD, Grades 1-6 at 1,000 LD, Grades 7-9, 2,000 LD, and Grades 10-12 at 3,000 LD.
The fees, she said, are intended to support the operational needs of schools and ensure a conducive learning environment, and any assessment or flexibility fees charged during national examinations would be considered a violation of the fee regulations.
“This aligns with the Ministry’s commitment to the ARREST agenda, specifically Pillar 3, which focuses on human capacity development and reducing the number of out-of-school children by 40%,” she said, revealing that to support this goal, the Ministry will launch a nationwide Enrollment Drive Campaign under the theme “Come Back to Class,” starting August 9, 2024.
Minister Jallah also disclosed plans to overhaul the school permitting process shortly, but said the Ministry will maintain the current process in which an annual operational permit fee for schools is calculated based on the tuition fee charged per student. She said this fee shall be paid to the Department of Instruction under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of Instruction, which is the only body responsible for executing the permit process.
