Plaisance secondary refuses to clarify ‘payment for IGCSE examination’ |14 July 2022
A letter for ‘Payment for IGCSE examinations’ was circulating on social media yesterday asking parents or guardians to begin payment for registration and examinations for the October/November 2022 candidates.
Parents and guardians have been panicking over the matter as the letter states that R1,340 is needed ‘per subject’ and ‘in the instance that your child did not qualify for any IGCSE, there is an additional payment of R600.’ This meant that parents or guardians will have to pay for their children’s education defeating the purpose of free education.
Seychelles NATION contacted both the Ministry of Education and Plaisance secondary school to clarify the matter. Kevil Telemaque, the chief education officer in the assessment section in the Ministry of Education (MoE) stated that “the letter in circulation is inaccurate and that the MoE has not changed its policy regarding payment of IGCSE for pupils that meet the criteria. If a pupil meets the criteria, can be one, two or eight IGCSEs, the MoE bears the full responsibility to pay IGCSE for the pupils. However if the pupil has not met the established criteria to sit for IGCSE, there is an education ‘memo’ number 6 of July 2017 that we issued to parents or guardians who have the option to bear the full cost of IGCSE for their child if they so wish even if they do not meet the criteria.
He reiterated that nothing has changed and said that there is a certain ‘inaccuracy’ or ‘miscommunication’ in the letter that was issued. He noted that the ministry is dealing with the situation internally.
The head teacher of Plaisance secondary, Jenny Kilindo, agreed to an interview early in the morning but when the time came for the agreed interview she refused to clarify the situation on the school’s side stating that the principal secretary for Educational Services, Merna Eulentin, had barred her from being interviewed. It is worthy to note that since Minister Justin Valentin took office the schools have been autonomous meaning they should be operating independently.
Mr Telemaque also informed us that the MoE will later give ‘appropriate’ information on the matter. Whether or not it was a ‘miscommunication’ or ‘inaccurate’ information it remains to be seen if the Plaisance secondary head teacher will clarify the situation on the school’s side.
Marla Simeon