Litia Cava 
Schools will now be able to impose and collect levies under the new Education Bill 2025.
This follows Parliament’s rejection of an amendment that sought to restrict how schools enforce or apply pressure in the collection of those levies.
Opposition MP Premilla Kumar moved an amendment to Clause 75(3) which sought to prevent Government and Government-aided schools from forcing, pressuring, coercing or intimidating parents and students into paying school levies.
She said the intention was to protect vulnerable families and ensure no child is sent home because their parents cannot afford payments.
Opposition MP Jone Usamate seconded the motion, supporting the call for stronger safeguards for families who may struggle financially.
Kumar said the country should not return to a system where students are excluded from school for unpaid levies.
She argued that while some families are able to contribute, others should not be made to feel pressured or forced. However, the amendment was voted down in Parliament.
This means the proposed explicit restriction on schools applying pressure over levy payments was not included in the final legislation.
Parliament later passed the Education Bill 2025 with 38 votes in favour and 14 against it.
The Bill replaces the Education Act 1966 and covers governance, standards, accountability and access across all levels of education.
