Not charging tuition doesnt make it totally free though. There are always costs involved....books, materials, uniforms, field trips, graduation fees, fund raisers, etc. Every person who sends a child to school incurs some kind of expense.
I know an tank Gawd or some a dese parents would never check fa dey chirren education.

I know an tank Gawd or some a dese parents would never check fa dey chirren education.

That speaks to our social ills. I am talking more about the economic and financial hardships many persons face, to be told that becuz I cant come up wit $100 my child cannot go to school.

I agree that many parents simply dont check for the performance of their kids in school. But are you suggesting that charging them $100 dollars make them pay more attention?

Ok, yall lets look at dis fee ting.

I feel like the monies should stay with the schools, there is already all kinda red-tape and curry favouring gern on with allocated monies already. The fee money should be directly available to the schools administration. District supervisors and education officers can be used to audit those books. (das if this isnt done already).

As for the same fee across the board, I am not so inclined. While we may want to believe that the educational experience in government schools is equal, there are those schools which do things others dont. Ideally, a school like Doris Johnson, which is suppose to be more geared towards vocational education should have the same fees as other schools that dont.

I guess if your school system was actually structured the way it performed, then fees could be assigned based on performance and needs of the student population.

Ok, yall lets look at dis fee ting.
I feel like the monies should stay with the schools, there is already all kinda red-tape and curry favouring gern on with allocated monies already. The fee money should be directly available to the schools administration. District supervisors and education officers can be used to audit those books. (das if this isnt done already).
As for the same fee across the board, I am not so inclined. While we may want to believe that the educational experience in government schools is equal, there are those schools which do things others dont. Ideally, a school like Doris Johnson, which is suppose to be more geared towards vocational education should have the same fees as other schools that dont.
I guess if your school system was actually structured the way it performed, then fees could be assigned based on performance and needs of the student population.


Sappdilly, don't get confused with "Registration Fees" and other fees.

Fees directly attributable to certain courses (vocational, laboratory, etc.) are entirely different. If you want your child to participate in say Auto Mechanics class, and you are asked to pay the cost for tools to use, thats different from saying unless you pay a registration fee your child cannot enter this school to take reading, writing and rithmatic!

OK, it's time for my 5 cents on this registration fee topic in annotated form.

1. Government schools have all been charging a registration fee long time!

2. The fee is set by each individual school as they know what is required for their school. Remember, no government school gets any money directly from the government, the only funds they have available are those that they raise themselves (tuck shops, fun days, cook-outs jeans days, fairs etc)

3. Schools need consumable supplies on a daily basis, e.g. paper, ink, toner, soap, hand towels, garbage bags and a whole load of other things that I can't think of right now. The government does supply some of these but not regularly and not in sufficient quantity.

4. Schools have to pay repair and maintenance bills for things like copiers, computers, school buses, lawn mowers etc. which if sent back to education for repair, we may never see again or it will take months.

5. These days, most schools registration fee will include,

Insurance ($20.00 per year per child) waivable if the parent can prove the child has private insurance, this covers accidents 24 hours a day, in school or out and is especially necessary when a child takes part in extra-curricular activities/field trips etc.

PE Kit (ours is $25.00) and we are not making any profit!

ID card (mandated by the MOE that all students should have) $5.00

On top of that comes the actual "fee" which goes to school fund and helps with all the bills mentioned above, in a lot of schools that fee is usually in the $10.00 range

This gives a total of $60.00 for incoming students

6. Lab fees (if and when charged) are in addition and are used for the practical subject areas to purchase consumables, e.g. cooking gas, cleaning supplies for Food Classes. Nails, glue etc for woodwork, Ink and paper for Computer classes. Materials for Art and so on. When lab fees are not charged, the subject teacher will often find themselves digging deep in their own pockets to purchase these things so that they are available for their students to use.

OK, it's time for my 5 cents on this registration fee topic in annotated form.
1. Government schools have all been charging a registration fee long time!
2. The fee is set by each individual school as they know what is required for their school. Remember, no government school gets any money directly from the government, the only funds they have available are those that they raise themselves (tuck shops, fun days, cook-outs jeans days, fairs etc)
3. Schools need consumable supplies on a daily basis, e.g. paper, ink, toner, soap, hand towels, garbage bags and a whole load of other things that I can't think of right now. The government does supply some of these but not regularly and not in sufficient quantity.
4. Schools have to pay repair and maintenance bills for things like copiers, computers, school buses, lawn mowers etc. which if sent back to education for repair, we may never see again or it will take months.
5. These days, most schools registration fee will include,
Insurance ($20.00 per year per child) waivable if the parent can prove the child has private insurance, this covers accidents 24 hours a day, in school or out and is especially necessary when a child takes part in extra-curricular activities/field trips etc.
PE Kit (ours is $25.00) and we are not making any profit!
ID card (mandated by the MOE that all students should have) $5.00
On top of that comes the actual "fee" which goes to school fund and helps with all the bills mentioned above, in a lot of schools that fee is usually in the $10.00 range
This gives a total of $60.00 for incoming students
6. Lab fees (if and when charged) are in addition and are used for the practical subject areas to purchase consumables, e.g. cooking gas, cleaning supplies for Food Classes. Nails, glue etc for woodwork, Ink and paper for Computer classes. Materials for Art and so on. When lab fees are not charged, the subject teacher will often find themselves digging deep in their own pockets to purchase these things so that they are available for their students to use.

With that said Ms. Ann I can understand the school asking for a registration fee.

With that said Ms. Ann I can understand the school asking for a registration fee.

Most of us can understand. MOF, most of us support a registration fee. What I dont support is a public school saying to a child that they cannot come to a school because his/her parent(s) dont have the money to pay up front.

Most of us can understand. MOF, most of us support a registration fee. What I dont support is a public school saying to a child that they cannot come to a school because his/her parent(s) dont have the money to pay up front.
That's why I said then pay it over a term......but pay it. We as a people don't value anything unless we paid plenty for it. It doesn't even have to be practical or attractive or for that matter necessary but we will be bragging on how much we paid. The other side of that is at some point, we as a people need to stop looking to the government for EVERYTHING and start taking resposibility for our own well being and future. What better place to start than education.

Most of us can understand. MOF, most of us support a registration fee. What I dont support is a public school saying to a child that they cannot come to a school because his/her parent(s) dont have the money to pay up front.
And I would love to know which schools these were or whether the parents misheard what was told them and are just trying to stir up da Sh**!

Do any BI members have any first hand knowledge of any school that has refused to register a child for non payment of registration fees? I actually find it hard to believe that any Principal or Administrator would tell a parent that.

After some digging I found:
The education, youth, sports and culture services receive a total of $ 312 million, or 20% of total Recurrent Expenditure.

Well muddow, I know it was a lot but I een realize it was dat much dred, soooooooooooooo dey couldnt a use some a dat ta pay fa da chirren dem fee (or atleast da ones dem who been ta social services and prove dat een no way dey could afford dat radder dan trowin da chirren dem outta school) :confused:
Of this, the Department of Education will receive $207 million.

Man come on man, and den dey wonder why crime so high man, keep da chirren dem in school man:realmad::realmad:


The College of The Bahamas will receive $27 million. The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute will receive $6 million. The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture will receive $15 million. The Ministry of Education will receive $48million

I just dont get it?:confused:

At da end a da day, if da same chirren who get put out a school turn out to have a by any means neccessary attitude to survive, a person wit nuttin to lose is the most dangerous person in the world, Govt, pay fa dem poor people reg fee

Most of us can understand. MOF, most of us support a registration fee. What I dont support is a public school saying to a child that they cannot come to a school because his/her parent(s) dont have the money to pay up front.

I think its kinda harsh in the case when a parent can not truly afford to pay the money up front so they should work out some form of payment with that parent. As for the parents that refuse because they dont want to is a different story.

I think its kinda harsh in the case when a parent can not truly afford to pay the money up front so they should work out some form of payment with that parent. As for the parents that refuse because they dont want to is a different story.


Wery True, someone need ta copy, paste email or whatever, da Minister need ta read dat last post and do he investigation before he go puttin da innocent chirren dem outta school and discontinue allowing da lousy parents dem who choose not to pay trying ta gather sympathy wit the poor people who really deserve da help in da firss place, do ya investigation firss Minister...