Education Ministry places $5,000 limit on school registration packages

The Education Ministry has issued a bulletin to schools warning them against imposing unreasonable registration fees on students for the upcoming school year.

According to the ministry, registration packages should not be more than five thousand dollars.

At the same time, the ministry has now abandoned the term 'auxiliary fees' and replaced it with 'school support contribution'.

The Ministry insists that students should not be denied entry to schools because of their inability to pay school support contribution.

It says neither should the payment of school support contribution be a requirement for registration, graduation, examination, application to sixth form or access to any service at a public educational institution.

According to the ministry, schools must have discussions with their Parent Teacher Associations to determine reasonable amounts for school support contributions.

But it says before implemented, the ministry must first approve the amount.

At the same time, the ministry said it will partner with the National Parent Teacher Association of Jamaica to encourage all parents to pay school support contribution.

It says sixth form programmes will continue to attract tuition fees that will be set by the School Board and approved by the ministry.