Council to sue parents over non-payment of school fees

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council is readying to sue parents who have not paid first-term school fees for their children as it has emerged that only $27 million was paid while $92 million remains due.

The 31 council-run schools have a total enrolment of 44 408, according to the Report of The Finance And Development Committee in the latest council report.

The local authority has 29 primary schools and two secondary schools.

According to the report by the committee chaired by Councillor Tawanda Ruzive, the local authority is thinking of suing parents who have not paid fees to the council-run schools for the first term.

“The department was, however, still very much concerned in terms of low payment of fees by parents/guardians in council schools. Efforts were being made to have parents honour their obligations. In addition, all new learners filled in contract forms that tracked down parents to honour payment plans as well as paying on or before schools open. Parents/guardians could be sued for their breach as per Ministry regulation, ” read the report.

It is stated in the report that the local authority had not received money for underprivileged learners from the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).

“During the term, a total of $27 808 536 had been paid for tuition and council levies while $92 147 760 remained outstanding.

“Beam funds totalling $21 484 319 had not been paid; no school had received the funds as yet though applications had been submitted by all the Council schools to the relevant Ministry. The fees increase for Term 2, 2022 had been approved and sent to the schools for implementation,” read the report.

Last month, school authorities appealed to Government to allow them to peg fees in United States dollars saying that is the only way they can remain afloat as their RTGS budgets are quickly eroded by inflation.

School heads who attended the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) conference in Victoria Falls also complained about bank charges incurred by schools in the administration of examination fees paid to the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec).