Not enough room
Published:Friday | August 5, 2011 | 12:00 AM
- Holness says prep-school shutdowns a burden on public system
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
MINISTER OF Education Andrew Holness is warning that government-run primary schools are now bursting at the seams and would have a difficulty in absorbing students from privately run institutions that might be facing closure.
"If there were to be a greater fallout, the public schools would face a serious challenge in absorbing students," Holness told The Gleaner yesterday.
"One of the problems is that parents who are leaving the private system, their first choice is to go to the highest quality public school, but that's a problem because it is displacing students from poorer households," Holness reasoned.
He said the ministry was monitoring the situation very closely.
Earlier this year, St Cecelia Preparatory and Kindergarten School in St Andrew closed its doors after 54 years in existence.
The institution was hit hard by harsh economic tides which severely impacted enrolment at the school and the collection of fees.
In May, president of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association, Karlene Bisnott, cautioned that a number of private schools were facing severe financial challenges. At that time, she did not rule out possible closure of other privately run schools.
Asked whether the Government could provide assistance to the flagging private schools, Holness said with its current tight budget, the ministry could not provide direct funding to these institutions.
Gov't's obligation
However, he pointed out that his ministry was willing to offer textbooks to these schools, as the Government had an obligation to "provide (books) for all children" at the primary level.
"We would give them access to the books that we have," he said.
Currently, private schools benefit from reduced rates on general consumption tax on electricity.
The education minister divulged that some private institutions had approached the ministry and asked that the Government take over their schools. However, Holness said the ministry could not make such a decision unless it made "economic sense".
"We want private schools to continue to exist in providing invaluable service, but they must be economical and rational in their decisions," he said.