Sudanese Journalist Rasha Hassan Detained Over Report on School Fees

EL QATINA, Sudan — Police in El Qatina, in Sudan’s White Nile State, have detained journalist Rasha Hassan following a complaint by a school administration over her sharing a report about pupils allegedly being prevented from sitting examinations because of unpaid school fees.

According to El Rakoba, a Sudanese news website that published the original report, Hassan was summoned by telephone to El Qatina Police Station, where she was detained following a complaint reportedly filed under Article 159.

The complaint followed Hassan’s reposting on Facebook of an article published by El Rakoba on 19 August, which examined complaints from parents that some pupils in El Qatina had been barred from examinations because their families could not afford school fees.

The report highlighted concerns over the exclusion of pupils despite directives from Sudan’s Ministry of Education prohibiting schools from denying students access to examinations or education because of unpaid fees.

Parents Raise Concerns Over Examination Fees

In its report, El Rakoba quoted a parent who alleged that a school in Block 4 of El Qatina had expelled his son and several other pupils because their families could not afford payments amounting to SDG 80,000.

According to the parent’s account, the affected children were unable to continue with their school activities because their families could not raise the required money.

The school administration reportedly explained that the SDG 80,000 covered fees for the primary school certificate examinations and a compulsory school camp.

El Rakoba reported that the prescribed examination fee was SDG 60,000, although the school administration said the larger amount covered additional costs.

Ministry Directives on School Fees

The report also highlighted concerns that some schools in El Qatina continued to exclude pupils whose families could not afford the required payments, despite statements from the Ministry of Education that students should not be denied education because of non-payment.

According to El Rakoba, the ministry had prohibited school administrations from taking such measures.

The reported detention of Hassan followed her decision to share the article on Facebook, bringing renewed attention to the dispute over school fees and the treatment of pupils from families facing financial difficulties.

However, the circumstances surrounding the complaint, the precise allegations against Hassan and the subsequent legal proceedings have not been independently established in the information available for this report.

This report is based on information published by El Rakoba, including its article dated 19 August concerning complaints by parents in El Qatina over pupils being prevented from sitting examinations because of unpaid school fees. Source: El Rakoba website.