adminDaniel Kachere Herald Reporter
Parents and guardians of pupils attending Rugare Government Primary School are up in arms with the school headmistress whom they accuse of misappropriating funds and allowing some teachers to ill-treat children.
The parents were also angry, calling for the dismissal of headmistress Mrs Gladys Nyamapondo as well as the School Development Committee (SDC).
This follows Government’s deployment of auditors to schools countrywide amid reports that headmasters and SDCs embezzled millions of dollars meant for fees and levies.
One of the worried parents, Ms Barbra Chirara, told The Herald that the school headmistress and the SDC could not give a satisfactory explanation of how money was being used during a meeting held at the school on Saturday.
She also alleged that Grade Seven pupils were made to pay $20 each meant for extra lessons for the first term holiday.
“As parents, we want a full account of how the money we pay at the school is being used. We were made to pay $20 for our children to attend extra lessons, a development we know was stopped by Government,” she said.
Ms Chirara said that the headmistress reported that $2 000 paid for extra lessons was used to cater for teacher’s transport needs.
Another parent, Mrs Beauty Chikore, said the SDC inflated figures of labour costs incurred when the school installed water tanks.
“They said the labour costs amounted to $2 100 just to fit a water tank whose components were bought using our contributions. The school head and her SDC must go after giving us a full explanation of how that money was used,” she said.
Mrs Joyce Spiwe Maphosa, the Deputy Provincial Educational Officer for Harare, addressed the parents’ grievances and ordered the school headmistress to submit a report concerning the allegations raised.
She told parents to desist from paying teachers money for extra lessons and promised parents that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would probe the allegations before taking action against the school headmistress.
“The school headmistress must compile a report on all your grievances and allegations. She should submit it today at our offices. I urge you parents not to pay any money alleged for extra lessons. If you want your children to have extra lessons they can only do this through the vacation school process, which is not supposed to be paid for,” she said.
Mrs Nyamapondo refused to comment.
Online Reporter