The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
MOST schools in Manicaland have backed down from demanding school fees exclusively in foreign currency following Government’s intervention, but are playing hard ball on those who have not paid tuition fees.
A survey conducted by The Manica Post in Mutare, Chipinge, Makoni, Nyanga and Mutasa shows that most schools, especially urban day and boarding schools, have introduced tight gate pass systems that saw those with outstanding fees being turned away.
While school fees should be paid on or before schools open, Government has provided a window for genuinely hard pressed parents to enter into payment plan agreements with respective school authorities.
Initially some schools had been pressing for USD payments, but recoiled following Government’s intervention.
Schools in the province are operating at full throttle, with teachers conducting normal lessons and extra tutorials for exam classes during the evening.
Manicaland has over 35 000 learners sitting for the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) Grade Seven, Ordinary and Advanced levels examinations this year.
These learners require extra support from teachers inorder to catch up on their learning, having lost valuable time during the Covid-19 disruptions.
With the support of SDCs, Government and developing partners, some schools have been making use of blended learning – a mixture of physical, virtual, radio and television tutorials – to enable exam classes to catch up on lost time.
Manicaland Provincial Education Director, Mr Edward Shumba said the Third Term started well and implored parents to pay school fees and tuition on time to enable schools to discharge their mandates effectively.
Parents spent the greater part of this week queuing at the schools’ administration blocks and banking halls to pay fees after most school authorities set the heat on them by refusing to allow defaulters in class.
“Things got off well and learning is progressing smoothly at our schools across the province. Initially, we received complaints from parents that certain schools were demanding foreign currency payments. We engaged the school heads and interpreted the official policy to them, that school fees is paid in multi-currency.
“If a parent has brought the USD, it must be receipted and used as such from its own account while the local currency must have its own account. The two should not be mixed.
“I also conveyed the instruction to the District Schools Inspectors (DSIs) when I met them. Apart from that, everything is under control,” said Mr Shumba.
He also encouraged parents to pay school fees on time.
“It is the responsibility of the parents to pay school fees for their children because we demand quality, holistic and inclusive education. Quality is determined by the resources availed to the school. The whole point is that schools must be able to buy learning materials and finance other operations to assist in teaching the children.
“If parents do not pay then schools will have serious challenges in their quest to provide quality education. That would be the dereliction of the parent’s responsibility. The parents need to pay their fees on time so that children can benefit from the school system,” he said.
