Dozens of parents from the Papa Francisco school expressed their annoyance and rejection of the $40 fee per student for the Christmas party scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025. According to the guardians, the payment was set by the school's teachers, who, according to their complaint, may have agreed to set a similar fee in each classroom without prior consultation or clear justification for the use of the funds. Parents described the measure as an abuse, considering it is a public school and not everyone has the financial capacity to cover this extra expense, especially at a time of year marked by multiple financial commitments. "It's an unfair pressure. If we don't pay, our children are practically excluded from the activity," said one of the affected parents, who asked to keep his name private for fear of retaliation against his child. The complainants also questioned the lack of transparency on how the money raised will be used and warned that this type of charge contradicts the principle of free public education. In this situation, parents called on the Ministry of Education to intervene and clarify if this charge is permitted, and also to guarantee the participation of all students in Christmas activities without financial discrimination. So far, the school's management has not issued an official statement on the complaint.
