Angry Students Protest Over WAFC Fees in Grand Gedeh

Students of the Borkey High School in Zleh Town, Grand Gedeh County have protested on campus in demand of reimbursement of WAEC fees collected by the outgoing school administration.

According to the protesting students, who are from the junior high division, the Administrator of the school Mr. Nicholas Bowen allegedly collected over LD25, 000 from them, but did not register their names at the West African Examination Council Office in Monrovia.

The students said after they were told that the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Education had paid WAEC fees for junior high school students, they approached the school authority for reimbursement, but to no avail.

The West African Examination Council is expected to begin administering this year’s exams for both 12th and 9th graders across the country next week. The aggrieved students further narrated the current protest was triggered by news that Mr. Bowen has been transferred from the school.

According to them, Mr. Nicholas Bowen has taken re-assignment since the beginning of the second semester and he cannot be seen.Effort by our Grand Gedeh County correspondent to contact Mr. Bowen did not materialize as his phone was switched off.

However, District Education Officer Harrison Kaweah confirmed the allegation and said his office had on several occasions warned Mr. Bowen to restitute the students’ WAEC fees, but he has failed to comply.

DEO Kaweah said the school administration informed him about the protest by the students, while he was carrying on his routine supervisory tour in the district. He promised to take official action as of May 1, 2012 and appealed to the concerned students to return to classes.

But the students have insisted they will continue their protest until Mr. Bowen is made to refund their money. The Ministry of Education has warned that it would decisively deal with any school authorities that temper with students’ WAFC fees.