Letter to private school proprietors

I will like to urge private school proprietors (PSPs) to reconsider their approach in dealing with students whose parents failed to pay their fees on time. In most schools, they send students back home while they have already come to school, and it becomes a stigma to those affected amongst their peers.

They need to remember that their schools are not purely a business venture; that’s why in most cases, they are registered as non-profit organisations. Thus, they should know that their priority also include moral upbringing of the students.

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I am not saying that PSPs should run their schools without receiving school fees, but the idea of going into classes to fish-out students is bad. There should be another means to ensure parents pay their children’s fees, after all, no parent will refuse to pay for his kid without an excuse.

I have been to three private schools, so I can confidently speak by experience; the feeling of being sent back home is terrible. I can recall at times, students pretend to be happy when they are sent home -”after all, we don’t like school either”- but deep down, it hurts. It is not a good experience.

Schools are primarily meant to foster virtues, such as respect, not disrespect; integrity not iniquity; hope not hopelessness; regard not disregard; humility and not humiliation.

Dear PSPs, you should showcase to your students “the power of your example and not the example of your power”. You should devise means to communicate more directly to the parents.

I will have to say that running a school is not like any other venture and therefore, shall not be done by all and sundry. It’s a passion for specific people and they are those who have the passion to mentor, teach, and hold the lamp for all. I hope to see a change to this in the nearest of times. Thank you.

Abubakar Aminu Ibrahim writes via: [email protected]