Grocery demands for Grade Zero, One pupils

Sunday Mail

13 February 2011

By Gwendoline Mugauri

SOME day primary schools in Harare have come under fire for demanding school development levy top-ups in groceries from Grade One and Grade Zero pupils.

The grocery items — which include cooking oil, laundry soap, toilet detergent, exercise books, pencils, bond paper, crayons, newsprint, chair backs, pens and drawing pins — are, in most instances, valued at almost 50 percent of the stipulated levies.

North Park, Haig Park, Houghton Park, Southerton, Selbourne Routledge, Alfred Beit, David Livingstone and Emerald Hill primary schools are among those reportedly making such demands.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart immediately warned that authorities would move to ensure accountability at the concerned schools.

He said although his ministry allowed State-run learning institutions to source additional stationery from parents, transparency was still required. “If correctly analysed, the funding for education is never enough to cater for all schools as well as run the Education Ministry,” he said. “Sometimes the ministry fails to avail all the necessary stationery to schools and this disadvantages pupils. “We have, therefore, made provision for schools to ask parents to cater for some of the requirements like exercise books while we provide textbooks, chalk and other materials. “We require accountability and transparency so that parents know why they have to buy stationery and how it will be used.”

Parents who spoke to The Sunday Mail last week accused school authorities of ripping them off. They said all requirements should be factored into the school development levy. A North Park parent, who declined to be identified, said the school had requested each Grade One pupil to bring a box of bond paper.

“I understand that we have to buy books and crayons. However, asking us to purchase a box of bond paper is absolutely absurd!” said the parent.
“The Government should not allow such insanity to prevail.”

Another parent, also preferring anonymity, said: “I do not understand why these schools are ripping us off like this. “A child doing Grade One is expected to bring blue and red pens, why? “The entire list I got from Haig Park Primary School cost me US$50. One wonders what the purpose of levies is.”

North Park Primary School head Mr Wilson Chinhanga dismissed reports about his school, saying the institution provided all the necessary stationery for its pupils.
He called on parents to expose any members of staff who demanded additional material.

Senator Coltart, in turn, urged aggrieved parents to approach their respective education district officers for recourse. “Parents have the right to question transparency if they are suspicious. We actually urge them to do so,” he said. “In other cases, School Development Associations (SDAs) can request our approval to raise levies to facilitate the purchase of stationery. “They are, however, not supposed to raise levies and simultaneously ask parents to provide stationery. “Asking for non-learning material like cooking oil is going over the edge; that is not allowed.”