The situation at Mother Mary International School Complex in Kimironko remained under discussion on Thursday, March 12, amid an ongoing dispute between the school administration and teachers over unpaid salaries.

When The New Times visited the school, access to information was tightly restricted as management declined to comment on the matter, which has drawn widespread attention on social media.

The school’s principal declined requests for an interview, and efforts to reach the school’s owner for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone was unavailable at the time of publication.

At the time of the visit, the school administration was in a meeting with officials from the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) to discuss the dispute.

Sources indicated that a similar meeting had taken place on Wednesday as authorities sought to resolve the situation.

Teachers at the school also declined to speak publicly for fear of repercussions.

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However, one teacher who spoke to The New Times on condition of anonymity said the salary issue had persisted for months and that staff had been promised payment by Friday following NESA’s intervention.

"We have been told that our arrears will be cleared by tomorrow, but this is an issue that has been going on for a while,” the teacher said.

"When we complain, they pay some and encourage others, like senior teachers, to be patient. The process itself is selective. So we hope this will be resolved once and for all.”

Parents raise concerns

Parents say the situation has also raised serious concerns about the quality and continuity of their children’s learning.

A parent who spoke to The New Times on condition of anonymity said the ongoing management crisis directly affects students despite the high school fees paid by families.

"We have tried to engage the school management regarding this crisis, which directly affects our children, yet we pay a lot of money,” the parent said.

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"Every year the school increases fees, so we don’t expect to hear such challenges.”

The parent also criticised the school’s communication system, saying it limits parents’ ability to raise concerns.

"We have WhatsApp groups where we only receive communication from the school but are not allowed to comment because the comments are locked. Only administrators can post,” the parent said.

"This has really affected how we communicate our concerns.”

Such communication structures have become increasingly common in some private schools, where administrators create broadcast-style WhatsApp groups that function more as one-way information channels rather than platforms for dialogue.

While these groups allow schools to quickly share announcements, parents say the approach often leaves them with no formal space to raise questions, challenge decisions, or collectively address emerging issues.

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In the case of Mother Mary International School, the parents said the situation is compounded by what they described as a parents’ board that tends to side with school management, leaving parents feeling excluded from meaningful engagement.

Social media pressure

The dispute gained traction online after reports emerged that teachers had staged a protest over unpaid salaries.

In a widely shared social media post on Wednesday, a user, Joseph Hakuzwumuremyi, claimed that teachers had refused to teach due to salary arrears dating back to January, as well as other unpaid months from the previous year.

The post also suggested that the issue affected teachers differently depending on their contracts.

The school, which reportedly hosts about 1,200 students across nursery, primary and secondary levels and follows the Cambridge curriculum, serves many children from affluent families, including foreign nationals.

Some online commentators said the salary dispute had been a long-standing concern.

One commenter, Claudine Niyonkuru, wrote that the issue had persisted for some time and attributed it to what she described as poor management.

Others pointed to broader labour concerns within the private sector. For instance, Clément Ndayisenga argued that delayed salary payments appeared to be a growing pattern across different sectors.

Allegations of intimidation

Meanwhile, a source within the school told The New Times that management tightened internal controls after the issue gained traction online.

According to the source, teachers or staff who share information with outsiders have reportedly been warned that they could lose their jobs.

"Teachers or staff who divulge information have been warned that they will be fired,” the source said.

The source added that management appeared to have gone into "panic mode” after the issue surfaced on social media, restricting access to information and discouraging staff from speaking publicly.

Authorities monitoring situation

When contacted for comment, an official at the Ministry of Education said the ministry was aware of the situation but noted that the matter was being followed up by NESA.

The official explained that because Mother Mary International School is privately owned, it is not directly managed by the government.

However, the official said such developments remain a matter of national concern given their potential impact on students and the education system.

By press time, efforts by The New Times to obtain an official comment from the school management were unsuccessful.