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Rutendo Ngara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has said it has not yet approved any schools fees increases for the first term in 2020.
This follows a decision by Dominican Convent High School in Bulawayo to raise fees for next year’s first term.
In a memo dated November 19 addressed to parents and guardians, the school said the fee structure was arrived at on the previous day during the School Development Committee Extra General Committee Meeting.
It said fees for pupils from Form One to Four will be pegged at $12 000 while those in Form Five and Six will pay $15 000.
“In view of the inflationary pressure in our economic environment, the initial fee of ZW$3 600 must be paid up by Friday November 29, 2019 and the balance of ZW$8 900 by Tuesday 31 December 2019,” reads the memo.
The school also said if parents are unable to pay the proposed fee they should notify it by December 6 so that those on the waiting list can be considered.
“Failure to pay ZW$3 600 by the stated date will be taken to mean you have declined the offer,” it said.
However, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Tumisang Thabela, said Government has not yet approved any 2020 fee proposals from schools.
“We haven’t received their applications, ordinarily what should happen is they should follow the secretariat circular which guides them,” she said. Mrs Thabela said there is a need to review fees due to economic challenges that the country is facing but what is of importance is that education must be affordable to everyone.
“Yes, there is a need to take economic variables into consideration but we are guided by what parents say,” she said. – @missngara.
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