The system should not be mandatory
Sep 17, 2007
Editor—The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with several education institutions and commercial banks, started a system of direct debit transfers for payment of school fees.
Editor—The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with several education institutions and commercial banks, started a system of direct debit transfers for payment of school fees.
This system is being implemented by institutions in and around Kampala, but it is understood that it will be extended across the country to all schools and institutions. While this is a good innovation and has decongested banks, its implementation is forcing some students out of schools because it is mandatory and not an option for paying school fees.
The architects of this system assume that all parents will have funds on the account when the transfer has to be made. The first assumption is fairly reasonable. A parent who does not have a bank account should strive to open an account.
The assumption, however, that an account holder will always have money on the account is not realistic. For the majority of parents in Uganda, the opening of a school term is a very stressful time and this has nothing to do with poor planning.
Take a family with four children at school paying about sh300,000 per student. The combined salary income for such a family may be not more than sh1.5m.
The schools where the system operates, do not give parents a choice. I appeal to the Ministry of Education and Sports to make the system optional, not mandatory. Give all students a chance to get good education.
Ronah Kabagenyi
Kampala
This system is being implemented by institutions in and around Kampala, but it is understood that it will be extended across the country to all schools and institutions. While this is a good innovation and has decongested banks, its implementation is forcing some students out of schools because it is mandatory and not an option for paying school fees.
The architects of this system assume that all parents will have funds on the account when the transfer has to be made. The first assumption is fairly reasonable. A parent who does not have a bank account should strive to open an account.
The assumption, however, that an account holder will always have money on the account is not realistic. For the majority of parents in Uganda, the opening of a school term is a very stressful time and this has nothing to do with poor planning.
Take a family with four children at school paying about sh300,000 per student. The combined salary income for such a family may be not more than sh1.5m.
The schools where the system operates, do not give parents a choice. I appeal to the Ministry of Education and Sports to make the system optional, not mandatory. Give all students a chance to get good education.
Ronah Kabagenyi
Kampala