adminColumbus Mabika
Herald Reporter
Seke 3 High School in Chitungwiza is forcing parents and guardians to buy uniforms at the school for Form One pupils before paying fees.
Angry parents said that school fees should be paid first, while they look for uniforms elsewhere as the tuition fees and other levies are expected in full before the term starts.
Disgruntled parents who spoke to The Herald said the school staff were working in cahoots with school uniform tailors and backyard shoe cobblers in Chitungwiza who are selling the items at inflated prices.
A community leader in the ward, Mr Obert Mutasa, said school cartels should be dealt with as they were putting parents in a tight corner.
“The school first tells you they have a few vacancies for Form ones, so you must first buy the full set of uniforms and shoes from the school before paying the fees to secure a place,” he said.
“The place are on a strictly first come, first served basis. What of a parent or guardian who has access to the same uniform from a cheaper source? I think it’s high time Government bans schools from selling uniforms and break these uniform cartels as this is fuelling corruption in schools. How did the supplier of the uniforms got the tender?”
A parent whose son had secured a Form One place at the school, was furious.
“This is daylight robbery. We are being forced to buy the uniforms from the school. The problem is that the uniforms are sub-standard. Just yesterday, the school gave us blazers with very short hands, just imagine. On shoes, they are giving us home-made shoes made by backyard cobblers in unit D,” said the parent.
“The uniform can be bought at other shops. This is meant to fleece parents who are being forced to buy expensive uniforms from the school.”
Another parent said the price of the uniform was being inflated since the school enjoyed some kind of “monopoly”.
“We are thus being forced to fork out between US$30 for a shirt and shorts or US$35 for a pair of trousers and a shirt,” he said.
“This is a condition for our children to secure Form One places at the school. They are taking advantage of the difficulties in securing Form One places.”
The parents refused to be named for fear of victimisation of their children.
Asked for comment, school head Mr Tadius Chizhande referred all the questions to the district schools inspector Mr Webster Zvipforo, who said he was in a meeting and could not comment.
Chitungwiza Residents’ Trust director Ms Alice Kuvheya called upon the Government to interveneand save parents from being fleeced by schools ahead of the new term which begins on Monday.
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