Top school threatens to withhold reportsParents at the Rundu private school are complaining after being told to pay an extra N$650 for the expansion of the boys’ hostel. St Boniface demands extra money 0 Parents of children at the prestigious St Boniface College at Rundu have been told to pay an extra N$650 before the end of the term or risk their children not getting their report cards.The parents were called to an emergency meeting on 17 September where they were informed about a N$650 contribution towards the construction of a boys’ hostel block to accommodate more students.
A mother who spoke on condition of anonymity described the request as “daylight robbery”.
“They are ripping us off. Why should we pay N$650 more after we paid N$4 400 per term?” she said.
She said they had to travel far to attend the meeting at Rundu.
“We travelled hundreds of kilometres just to be told that we have to pay N$650. If only they knew we spent more than that amount on transport and accommodation.
“It would have been good if they had told us beforehand what the emergency meeting was about and we would not have travelled and used the money to pay the demanded contribution,” she said.
The parent accused the school of wanting to use the money to increase teachers’ salaries in view of a planned national strike by teachers at state schools.
According to school principal Mary-Phyllis Yesudasan, the school is raising funds for the construction of a hostel block to accommodate 30 more boys.
Currently the school has 306 learners - 182 girls and 124 boys. If all parents pay the extra N$650, the school would raise about N$200 000, which Yesudasan said would cover part of the construction cost.
“We want to accommodate more learners as the demand increases every year. We are not going to eat the money as this money will only cover a certain percentage of the construction of the boys’ hostel block. There will be beds that need to be bought and mattresses,” she explained.
Asked what would happen if parents refuse to pay the N$650, Yesudasan said they risked not receiving their children’s third-term report cards and might not get admission to the school next year.
“The parents also have the choice of taking their children to government schools where they pay less or nothing at all. There are a lot of parents who want to bring their children to the college but we send them away as there is not sufficient space,” she said.
Asked when the construction would start, Yesudasan said she was not sure but it would happen soon.
St Boniface is regarded as one of the best schools in Namibia based on the academic performance of its learners in the grade 10 and 12 national examinations.