THE EDITOR, Madam:
I am writing to express deep concern and outrage over the disturbing practice emerging in some of the public schools, where students are being asked to pay exorbitant fees – in some cases as much as $25,000 – for graduation packages. This is not just unreasonable, it is a shameful indictment on the current state of the public education system.
Graduation should be a moment of pride, a celebration of hard work and perseverance – not a financial barrier. In a country where many parents are struggling to put food on the table and send their children to school with basic supplies, this level of expense for a public school graduation is both insensitive and exclusionary. Public education must remain accessible, equitable, and inclusive. Practices like these widen the gap between the haves and have-nots and send a dangerous message: that, unless you can afford it, your child doesn’t deserve to be celebrated.
Where is the oversight from the Ministry of Education? Why are school boards and administrators allowing such exploitative practices to persist? Who is standing up for the countless parents and students who will be left out of their own graduation because they simply cannot afford the cost?
These are not private institutions. These are government-funded public schools and, as such, must be held to a higher standard of accountability and social responsibility. These excessive graduation charges are not just bad policy – they are an affront to the principles of fairness and equality upon which our education system is supposed to rest.
The Minister of Education and members of parliament should address this matter urgently and ensure that no child is denied the joy and dignity of graduation because of cost.
We must do better.
PAUL LYN
Christiana, Manchester
