School levies not mandatory, says Education Minister

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro has clarified that school levies cannot be used as a precondition for student enrolment.

Responding to concerns raised online about schools demanding levies, Mr Radrodro said the ministry had spoken to the concerned school about the issue.

“We’ve talked to the concerned school, advising them that we cannot use it as a precondition for entry,” Mr Radrodro said.

“It should be a voluntary basis.”

He said the school had assured the ministry that levies would be treated as voluntary for new students enrolling.

“So, it is not a mandatory thing, it's a voluntary thing. The school levies are not supposed to be mandatory,” Mr Radrodro said.

“It’s a voluntary arrangement that is done by parents and guardians and schools. Everything is on free education.”

The clarification comes after an uproar on social media about school levies being demanded from parents.

When asked about the concerned school’s claim that government grants were insufficient, Mr Radrodro said grants were allocated based on specific criteria.

“The grants are given on a condition of criteria based on the number of students, based on the location,” he said.

“If that is something that is concerned, that is something that we will continue to look at.”

However, Mr Radrodro said the ministry was encouraging schools to be accountable for the funds they received.

“Over the years, a huge sum of money has been given for free education to schools,” he said.

“And that is something that they need to be made accountable to.”

Mr Radrodro's comments aim to reassure parents that school levies remain voluntary and cannot be enforced as a requirement for enrolment under the Government’s free education policy.

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