When will parents be reimbursed?

THE EDITOR: This is a letter to the Honourable Hazel Manning, Minister of Education highlighting some questions which many parents are asking regarding the recently implemented Ministry of Education’s Special Education Project. I am a single parent and a mother of a child with special needs. In November 2005, I attended a forum at the Cascadia Hotel hosted by the Special Ed Committee which was very informative. At this forum, attendees were appraised of the ministry’s plans to assist with the development of schools for special needs children, among them, the payment of tuition fees for such children attending these schools.

At the meeting, a member of the committee posed the question of what would be done with the arrears of tuition paid to the principals of such schools. Not one principal present attempted to answer this question. January to April is another school term and parents have been informed by principals that they are required to pay school fees. Parents surely do not have a problem with that, what is of concern to them is would they be reimbursed these monies upon the receipt of this funding from the Government? Having held discussions with several parents and principals, it appears that principals would not be reimbursing parents. What is the minister’s response to this question and what measures are being put in place to ensure that parents are being reimbursed their monies? Honourable Minister, we need answers.

T MARQUIS
Petit Bourg