Extortion At Knust Jss

...Parents allege, call for probe

THE ALLEGED unauthorized collection of fees at University JSS in Kumasi is now the source of worry to most parents of students of the school.

Some parents have risen against the practice which has gone on there since 2000 and have called for a probe into the matter.

The concerned parents are accusing the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, for the unauthorized collection of fees.

The school with a population of about 1,400 is charging ?250,000 per student per term including ?50,000 as annual development fee.

Besides, the students pay ?30,000 as PTA dues. One has to pay ?200,000 to get admitted into the school.

It means new students pay a total of ?480,000 while continuing students pay ?280,000 per head every term.

The parents are worried the more about payment of fees by third year (JSS 3) students for the third term even though students do not go to school.

Chronicle has learnt that the 2000/2001 year group completed the JSS course at the end of the second term and never stepped on the school compound during the third term and yet the about 400 students were forced to pay ?110,000 each.

The current batch of final year students is about to write their final exams never to come to school in the third term.

Chronicle sources, however, indicate that the headmistress, as usual, is asking the 419 students to pay ?230,000 each before they write the exams shortly even though fees are paid termly.

She met with the students on March 3 to convince them on the need to pay the money.

If they do, Mrs. Jackson and management would make about ?96.3 million without sweat. Some of the students have started to pay their third term fees which is now being termed mock fee.

Three mock exams are being conducted to justify the collection of the ?230,000

An aggrieved parent, one K. A. Anane, has already petitioned the Regional Directorate of Education (GES) to investigate this and correct the situation.

He is angered by the fact that University JSS is a public school and that the government supplies textbooks and picks the salaries of teachers there.

The petitioner feels the ?250,000 charged termly as fees is above the government approved fees for public schools. It is even far above a grade one private school fees.

Accordingly, Anane has suggested that the fees collected from the 2000/2001 year group be refunded by the headmistress.

While teachers tasked to collect the fees are tight-lipped over the issue, a section of the pupils Chronicle spoke to under cover confirmed the payment of such monies.

According to a GES directive issued in July, 2001, the approved tuition fee per term for a private JSS Grade A is ?261,000. The figure decreases by ?30,000 as it moves from Grade A to D.

Other charges, according to the directive signed by the Deputy Director, Mr. John Budu-Smith, for the Director General (GES), are ?30,000 at the KG and nursery levels through ?45,000 and ?60,000 at the Primary and JSS levels respectively to ?75,000 at the Second Cycle.

Headmistress Jackson, a renowned broadcaster and marriage counsellor, would not comment on the issue when contacted.

She passed the buck and directed this reporter to the Finance Officer at KNUST, who was not readily available.

The Deputy Finance Officer in turn directed me to the Registrar for any explanation. But the Registrar, Mrs. S. Quarshie-Sam had no idea about the unauthorized collection of fees at University JSS.

The Regional Internal Auditor (GES) confirmed that his outfit has launched a probe into the allegations, but he would not disclose findings.

Mr. P. A. Adusei, PRO at the Regional Directorate of GES who is a representative of the education director on the management board of University JSS said spiritedly that the issue had been resolved.

He was silent on how but defended that fees charged at the school are duly discussed and approved by the PTA.

PRO Adusei admitted that though fees charged there as a public school is "a bit high," the input by teachers and quality of education there is "reasonably okay."

He said the extended (extra) classes are done with the consent of parents and did not see why they (parents) were now complaining.

"They don't complain when students score 100% in the exams," he teased.

Meanwhile, the Metro Directorate of Education has identified the problem and laid it at the doorstep of the university authorities (Finance Office) who in partnership with the GES run the school.

"The problem is the Finance Office which fixes fees in line with status," the GES source said.

Consequently, the metro directorate which supervises the school directly, has set in motion processes to streamline things there.

"An audit team is working to correct the situation," the Chronicle heard.