Hundreds of students expelled from South Darfur school

More than 600 students have been expelled from secondary schools in Gireida in South Darfur because their parents have not paid the tuition fees.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, a parent reported that the educational council of Gireida imposed tuition fees of SDG 100 ($ 4*) for first and third grade students this school year.

“But the director of the Secondary School Education department in the locality added an extra SDG 100 in support of the locality and the security apparatus in Gireida,” he said.

“Apart from the fact that most parents cannot afford to pay an extra SDG 100, we are not convinced of the reasons for the doubling of the amount.”

The source said that about 400 students of the Gireida Secondary School for Girls and more than 200 students from the Gireida Secondary School for Boys have now been expelled because of their inability to pay the fees.

He said the parents are considering raising an official complaint about the “illegal addition of SDG 100”.

According to Sudanese government policy, basic education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 13 years. Basic education consists of eight years, secondary education of three years.

* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS