Don’t send away children, schools told

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
SCHOOLS in Masvingo have been advised to engage parents over tuition fees and levies instead of turning children away.

Speaking ahead of the official opening of the second term today, the Provincial Education Director Mr Zadius Chitiga said that it was the parents’ duty to ensure school fees were paid on or before the opening of schools.

“We do not expect any learner to be sent back home for not paying fees. It is the sole duty of a parent to ensure that his or her child has paid fees while learners should be allowed to concentrate on their school work,” said Mr Chitiga.

He said boarding schools were exempted from Government directive over fees because their circumstances were different.

“It is Government’s directive that no learner should be sent away for not paying fees, but boarding schools are exempted,” he said.

“If boarding schools do not send away learners for not paying fees, they won’t be able to feed them.

“Our children at boarding schools need food and if they are allowed to remain at school when they have not paid, it will be not fair to those children who are paying. If parents send their children to boarding schools without fees, whose food are they going to eat?

“You can see that the situation differs from that of day schools”.

Mr Chitiga said parents with grievances over fees should not hesitate to approach school authorities to negotiate payment plans.

“We all know that the economy is not good for most of us, but that does not stop parents from paying fees, as schools thrive on learners’ fees.

“When you have challenges in paying all the fees at once, it is advisable for parents to approach school authorities and agree on flexible methods of payment,” he said.