Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
WHILE schools are officially closed for the August holiday, thousands of learners across Manicaland are still reporting for classes, as teachers and schools increasingly turn vacation lessons into a lucrative side business that parents say they cannot afford to ignore.
Investigations by The Manica Post have revealed that learners from Early Childhood Development (ECD) to Upper Six, including non-examination classes, are attending holiday lessons at rented venues, and in some cases, on school premises, amid growing allegations that parents are being pressured into paying fees outside the Government regulations.
Parents claim some teachers are using fear tactics to compel attendance, warning learners that the syllabus will continue during the holiday period and that those who stay away risk falling behind their classmates.
The practice has effectively turned what is supposed to be a school break into an extension of the classroom, with many families feeling they have little choice but to pay.
Some primary school learners, including ECD learners attending lessons in Mutare’s Central Business District, are reportedly being charged up to US$20 for two weeks of tuition.
At some schools in Mutare, examination class learners are allegedly being charged a compulsory US$20 holiday lessons fee, with the levy reportedly imposed on all learners, including those who do not attend the lessons.
Other schools are said to be charging the approved vacation school fees while also demanding an additional US$1 per day for lessons conducted outside the period authorised by the Government.
The developments have sparked outrage among parents, many of whom say they are already struggling with the high cost of education.
Contacted for comment, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Chief Director for Manicaland, Mr Richard Gabaza, said authorities will move swiftly to address any violations.
“We will correct that without delay,” he said.
The ministry recently issued Secretary’s Circular Number 7 of 2026, authorising vacation classes during the August holiday period.
However, the programme is specifically intended for Grade Seven, Form Four and Upper Six examination candidates, and is designed as a targeted intervention to help learners prepare for national examinations.
Ministry of Primary and Education Director for Communications and Advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro, said the initiative was never intended to become a routine extension of the school term.
“The vacation school is positioned not as a routine extension of term time, but as a strategic intervention to bolster candidate readiness and reassure stakeholders of the ministry’s commitment to quality education,” he said.
Mr Ndoro said the authorised lessons are scheduled to run from August 7 to August 20, 2026, covering 10 working days.
Under the ministry’s guidelines, primary schools may charge US$2 per learning area for each Grade Seven learner, while secondary schools may charge US$3 per learning area for Form Four candidates and US$5 per learning area for Upper Six learners.
Schools are prohibited from charging beyond the prescribed limits.
“In all cases, these amounts may also be paid at the equivalent bank rate in Zimbabwe Gold currency. Schools are expressly prohibited from charging any amounts beyond these stipulated figures,” said Mr Ndoro.
He added that all payments must be receipted and properly accounted for, with funds allocated according to a prescribed formula that includes teacher incentives, administration costs and utilities.
The ministry has also ordered strict monitoring of the programme by education inspectors, district literacy coordinators and remedial tutors, with schools required to submit comprehensive reports by August 31.
Mr Ndoro stressed that parents should be actively involved in determining timetables and fees.
“Schools are urged to make every reasonable effort to involve parents and guardians in the process to ensure that all candidates, including vulnerable and marginalised learners, are able to benefit from the vacation school.”
However, teachers’ representatives say the mushrooming of extra lessons reflects deeper problems within the education sector.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Association of Zimbabwe president, Mr Obert Masaraure, said many teachers are seeking alternative sources of income because of deteriorating working conditions.
“We need to go to the heart of the crisis. Teachers are exploring other means of making extra income. We lost it as a nation when we promoted the idea of making extra money from your workstation. If there is need for remedial work to be done, it should be done in a formal manner,” he said.
For parents, the issue has become a painful dilemma.
Many say they are paying not because they can afford to, but because they fear their children will be disadvantaged if they do not.
Mr Desire Dube of Chipinge said families feel trapped.
“We find ourselves in a tight situation as parents. We are paying not because we want to or can afford it. If I fail to pay, it is my child who loses out,” he said.
Mr Patrick Mutimudye of Chikanga echoed the concern.
“This is a very difficult situation where you have to choose between not paying for these extra lessons and your child failing, or struggle to find the money so that they at least have a fair chance to pass,” he said.
