By Lomax Sackor
Over 30 students of the Sinoe Multilateral high School were axed out of their Exam hall on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 for what is alleged to be their refusal to pay flexibility fees.
According to one of the affected students who spoke with Punch FM/ TV Online Service, begging anonymity, during the last academic year 2019/2020, Sinoe County District #1 Lawmaker Clayton Duncan pledged to pay the tuition for all 2020-2021 senior students at the institution when he served as a guest speaker during the school’s closing program.
The student further informed this outlet that even though the school is a Government-run institution, the students continue to pay tuition, amounting to LD8500 as yearly tuition especially for senior students.
“The pledge which was made by District #1 lawmaker Hon. Duncan was fulfilled by him at the beginning of the 2020-2021academic school year, and that amount was turned over to the sponsor of the 12th grade class, Mr. Augustine Senesee,” the student revealed.
Our sources added that even before lawmaker Duncan had paid the aforementioned fees, majority of the students in the senior class had already paid their fees.
“Based upon this some students began requesting for refund of their fees from the sponsor, while others suggested that the money be used for class project such as Tutorial and Flexibility fees, among others,” our source stated.
Our contact further explained that among the many suggestions, some of the students requested a refund with the understanding that they would return the fees when the need arose.
“When the students refused to return the money they received, they were asked out of the exams hall,” the source intimated.
When contacted, the Vice Principal for Instructions of the Institution, Mr. Frank Greenfield, said the information is false and misleading, adding that at no point in time did the school administration ask any senior student to pay flexibility fees.
“Collection of flexibility fees is totally the policy of the Ministry of Education, and as such, the school administration will never violate said policy,” Mr. Greenfield stated emphatically.
The school’s VP for Instruction also revealed that senior students, upon receiving their money from lawmaker Duncan, agreed for said fees to be expended towards class project and tutorials, with the exclusion of flexibility fees.
“It is from that background and the students’ failure to refund the tutorial and class project fees that compelled us as Administration to call on the class leadership to enforce the payment; for which some students were put out for their none-payment of the collected fees,” Greenfield noted.
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Lomax Sackor, our Sinoe County correspondent, started his media profession at Liberty Radio 105.5 FM in Greenville, Sinoe in 2017 as an announcer, reporter and finance officer. Lomax currently serves as an Administrator. He is a member of the Sinoe Journalists Association and has obtained advanced experience in media reporting having attended series of workshops. Lomax can be contacted via 0880935101 / 0775862083.
