‘Why pay for private schools?’

How can the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) justify the use of public funds to pay for SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) students at private secondary schools when there is more than enough accommodation at the Government schools? That was the query put forward last week by THA Chief Secretary and Secretary for Education, Orville London, in response to a call from the principals of these private schools. The call by the principals is among several proposals they put forward in a letter to London following a decision by the THA that SEA students will no longer be placed at the private schools from September. For the past several years, SEA students were routinely placed at the private schools with the THA footing the bill. This was due to the shortage of secondary school places in the island. However, with the construction of three new Government secondary schools in Tobago, two of which are to come on stream in September, there are now more school places than students, according to London. It was in this context that the THA took the decision to stop placing SEA students at the private schools.

The principals are however upset over the move which they say can spell the closure of these private institutions, and are seeking an urgent meeting with London. Among other things, they have called for “the placement of one class of Form One students (about 40 students) at each school (St Joseph’s Convent, Harmon’s SDA, Elizabeth’s College) for the next three years.” London said he would meet with the principals, but noted, in the reality of things, their position was untenable. “That request will be very difficult to justify”, he told Sunday Newsday. He noted that the number of available First Form places at Government/Government-assisted secondary schools in September was 1050, while only 915 students would be entering school. “It means therefore even utilising the present stock, there is in fact likely to be a surplus of places. It will therefore be very irresponsible and difficult to justify, for us to go and pay for 120 of those students to go into private secondary school when we have a surplus of places for them in the Government and Government-assisted schools”, London emphasised. “What we are hoping therefore is to be able to sit down with the private secondary schools and see how they can adjust their focus so that they can continue contributing to the educational thrust without, in any way, having to utilise monies that would have normally been paid for places in secondary schools.”