MCSS Students Storm Monrovia Detesting High Fees

Students from the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the hike in the prices of tuitions and uniform for the 2019/2020 academic school year.
Recently, the Minister of Education, Prof. Ansu Sonii, made an announcement discouraging schools’ administrations from making uniform purchase compulsory for both public and private schools.
The spokesperson of the group, student Wayah W. Kollie of the William V.S. Tubman High School told reporters that the recent increment in school fees is causing serious problems for the students as well as their parents and guidance.
“It pains our heart when we hear that we have to buy uniforms from the schools at the price of US$27 which was later negotiated and reduced to US$25,” Kollie stated.
Kollie alleged that his institution, the William V.S. Tubman High School, has added several fees to the school’s regular fees which is unnecessary, wondering, “Why should we pay activities fee when there are tickets sold to students whenever we play games or are compelled to go on trips. Why should we pay for repair and maintenance when we are mandated by the Tubman High Administration to provide four chairs instead of a single chair whenever one chair is damaged?”
However, Minister Sonii assured the students’ protesters yesterday that the Ministry will make it a priority to address the plights of the students by launching an immediate investigation into the matter and pleaded with the students to go back to their various campuses in order to give the Ministry time to investigate the matter.
“We have to send for the MCSS Administration to find out what is happening because you have made your claims but we have to hear from them so that we can make a decision today” Sonii assured further.
Minister Sonii told the aggrieved students that the government has already made it clear that the purchasing of schools’ uniforms should not be compulsory therefore no student is compelled to buy uniform from the school noting, “So if you have uniform you have uniform and they cannot or should not compare you to buy uniform from their school.”
However, Sonii called on students across the country to always use the right procedures in expressing their grievances in order to find a resolution to problems confronting them; “I am begging you guys to always come to the Education Ministry with your plights but not to block the streets. When you come here, I will come down and speak to you. You guys have to change the ways you approach issues affecting you” Sonii noted.
Meanwhile, Prof. Sonii promised to have met with the students at 2 P.M. on yesterday following a meeting with the M.C.S.S. authority to communicate the way forward in addressing their plights.