Dear Editor,
My ward attends Saint Gabriel’s Primary School and is a pupil in Grade 1. She informed me that her class teacher requests that each child take to her the sum of three hundred dollars for participation in the school’s inter-house athletic sports.

I am perturbed that a class teacher would relay that form of request to a six-year-old to inform her parents/guardians.

A request for funds for any school-related activity must be properly authorized by the head of that school. In addition, a proper letter duly signed by the head of the school must be sent to parents for such requests. The matter of proper accountability should be available at duly called Parents/Teachers meetings.

I am not prepared to honour such a request as described above and will take issue with any teacher at the school who may think of bringing pressure to bear on my ward for my stand taken on this matter.

I look forward to an immediate correction to this situation.

Yours faithfully,
Rudolph D. Mahadeo

Editor’s note

We are sending a copy of this letter to the Head Teacher of St Gabriel’s for any comment she might wish to make.