Pupils from Malakia Primary School paraded during the official opening of the examination by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol. (Photo: Doran Vision Media).

Atlabara East Primary School in Juba says the collection of fees as alleged by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction was the initiative of parents, not the learning institution – to pay volunteer teachers.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of General Education and Instruction said it came to its attention that three unauthorized public primary schools collected between 30,000SSP to 35,000SSP from parents as contribution fees.

The schools implicated include Atlabara East Primary School, Malakia Primary School, and Juba One Girls Primary School.

Minister Awut Deng Achuil thus demanded that the schools return the payments made or else the schools or individuals face disciplinary measures.

In response, Atlabara Deputy Head Teacher John Wani Augustino says the collection of fees was the initiative of the learners’ parents who formed an association to pay volunteer teachers.

According to him, the parents have their system to pay the volunteer teachers.

“We did not ask for school fees from children, it is parents that came up with this contribution to their children,” he said.

The parents also use the fees collected to provide scholarship materials to support the volunteer teachers.

“The parents have their person who has a form and a stamp,

“That money is being used to pay volunteer teachers, services in the school, buying chalks and preparatory books for the teachers including school maintenance,” he added.

Wani says the school has not broken the law protecting free education in the country.