The Herald
26 May 2009
Herald Reporters
SCHOOL heads from across the country have come under fire from parents for charging fees way above those stipulated by Government.
Some schools in areas like Gutu were last week sending students away for non-payment of fees.
A visit by The Herald to rural schools like Vumba, Chekure, Majada and Marinda primary schools; and Chiwara and Majada secondary schools in Gutu South, revealed that authorities were sending pupils away demanding that they pay money “to buy chalk” first.
The demands have riled parents who say they cannot raise the fees.
In Masvingo urban, some Government and council-run schools had already told students to pay the full fees by June 1 or risk being chased away.
These ultimatums have been issued at Dikwindi, Runyararo and Vurombo primary schools.
The Masvingo deputy provincial education director Mr Diga Mandiudza last week said he could not comment as he had just returned from leave.
The school heads also urged the ministry to communicate its position to the schools, as heads were saying they could not implement Government directives in the absence of an official circular.
On Friday, Education Minister David Coltart admitted they were facing problems officially communicating the interim fee structure to schools.
Said Minister Coltart: “One of our biggest challenges at the moment is the lack of communication because our printers are not working and it becomes difficult to send circulars to the schools and this will result in confusion.
“We are actually in the process of talking to donors so that they can help us with printers machines or fax machines.”
He added: “The position of Government towards the fees is that only the gazetted fees should be paid.
“As for the levy, it should be agreed upon by the school development association and the parents.
“No school head should charge his or her own levy without consulting the parents, who are the major stakeholders.”
However, he did not say what action would be taken against school heads that ignored the directive.
Early this month, the ministry said parents would this term pay interim fees of US$5 and US$10 for primary schools in low-density and high-density areas respectively.
Parents with children attending secondary schools in high-density suburbs should pay US$10 while their counterparts in low-density areas would part with US$20.
However, a number of schools have ignored this directive, telling parents that they could not go by “mere media reports”.
In Harare, Kuwadzana 4 Primary School has reportedly told parents to fork out US$50 if they want their children to attend classes.
Last week, parents of children attending a primary school in Glen View said authorities were demanding US$5 which they said would go towards teachers’ “allowances”.
“We cannot afford to continue paying the teachers because we are also finding it difficult to look for the foreign currency.
“We, too, are civil servants and are also earning the same US$100 that the teachers are earning and I don’t see why we should be supplementing them when we are struggling to survive,” fumed Mr James Marange of Glen View.
It was also not clear whether those parents who paid more than the gazetted fees would be refunded or their accounts would be duly credited.
On the issue of parents paying teachers “allowances”, Minister Coltart said he sympathised with teachers but they should not send away the children for non-payment.