MCSS Prospective Graduates Object To High Fees

By Edwin G. Wandah
Some students of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) are said to be rejecting the over LD$14 million expected to be generated by the government owned schools collectively as graduation fees just from four high schools as 2018-2019 graduation fees.
The four schools are William V. S. Tubman High, G.W. Gibson, Pipeline Junior and Senior High School and the D-Twe High School where students are said to be complaining that the administrations of their schools are demanding that each student pays the amount of LD15,500 before they are allowed to part take in the 2018-2019 graduation exercises; something the students have termed as unacceptable and only intended to exploit them.
“We see this as an exploitation, why should students pay LD15, 500, this unacceptable,” a female student (name withheld) stated.
“Look at the current economic situation in the country today, parents hardly find food for their families and transportation and other basic commodities prices are high; where will we find this money to pay,” one of the graduating students from Tubman High stated.
However, when our reporter visited the campuses of the four schools and spoke with some of the graduating students as well as administrators, the situation appeared tensed even though, most of the students were calm, but their facial expressions could tell their disenchantment.
“We are sad, some of us have resolved to begging to enable us acquire this amount; this is very saddening. We could run out of patience if nothing is done,” another female stated.
Meanwhile, the Principal of the Tubman High School, Alassis N. Goldore, had blamed the situation to the MCSS adding that earlier they had charged LD10, 000 as graduation fees to each student.
Mr. Goldore said the only fee they charged graduates was LD2, 500 which was for the gown rental and according to him, it is refundable upon the returned of those gowns but explained that the additional LD2, 000 was the addition of the students’ own project fees which themselves had agreed to pay.
If the amount charged to the students is to be accepted, about 937 students will be paying LD14, 523, 500 as the graduation ceremony this year will be combined and will take place on the August 16, at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Stadium in Paynesville.