Lilongwe Academy anger parents over introduction of ‘caution fee’

Parents of the children who learn at Lilongwe Academy International Schools have expressed anger over the decision by the school management to introduce ‘Caution Fees’ without consulting them.

The school’s principal, Yohane Kasambala, confirmed the introduction of ‘Refundable Caution Fee,’ which he said is used when learners lose books or damage school property.

Kasambala told Nyasa Times on Tuesday that the fee is payable once and shall be refunded when the learner leaves the school.

But the decision has not gone down well with the parents who suspect that the school wants to take advantage of the situation to steal from them.

“They have construction projects running at the school and they want to use this money to implement them. It’s unfair and daylight robbery,” complained one of the parents.

But Kasambala maintained that there is nothing peculiar about this fee, stressing that almost all the schools charge such fees only that they differ in its names.

“Others call it General Purpose Fund and for us, we have called it Caution Fund. In fact, the fee is not even equivalent to the cost of the books such that should a parent decide to withdraw their children without surrendering the books, it is the school that will lose out,” he said.

Kasambala said the Caution Fee is structured according to classes.