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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
PARENTS with children at Masiyepambili Junior School in Bulawayo are crying foul over the institution’s planned Grade Seven trip to Cape Town, South Africa, at a cost of $1,200. Disgruntled parents yesterday said the $1,200 being demanded for the November 16 to 21 trip for each pupil was unjustified considering that the South African rand has depreciated in value against the United States dollar.
Other parents said the school trip fee was not tallying with prices being charged for similar trips by other private schools like Convent Junior School in Bulawayo, whose pupils were said to be also going to the neighbouring country.
“They’re charging $1,200 per child but our investigations reveal that the total cost for the trip is $800. We’ve other schools charging about $900 so our concern is that the trip might have been made more expensive when the trip was planned. But there are so many fundamentals that have changed now,” said one of the parents who declined to be named.
Another said school authorities had not taken into account the prevailing economic challenges. “The rand is on a free fall but that’s not being considered. Some parents even lost their jobs and are struggling to raise the funds. Some even approached banks just to fund the trip but the school doesn’t seem to understand that,” he said.
The parent said although it was difficult to raise funds for the trip, parents went out of their way to cater for their children. Masiyepambili Junior School headmaster Robert Sibanda said parents who were complaining about the trip are those who do not attend school and parents meetings. He said at a meeting on Monday, parents resolved that the cost of the trip must not be reduced.
“It would have been good for the said parent to have asked the question at the Grade Seven parents meeting held on Monday at the school. I wonder if the said parent was at the meeting. The trip was costed in January this year before the fall of the rand, some parents paid then,” said Sibanda.
“At the Monday meeting the issue of reducing the cost due to the fall of the rand was discussed and instead of refunding the parents it was agreed to improve the quality of travel, so the children are flying to Cape Town and back as there’s a saving to afford this. Parents were free to suggest what could have been done with the saving.” He said for the disgruntled parents to ask the question through a newspaper was not be the way to communicate any school issue as the school administration is “very” open on any issues pertaining to the education of their children.
“Please advise them to come forward any time, we’re there to help each other in educating our beloved children,” he said.
Online Reporter