Pupils stranded as school forced to close

Lackson Munkombwe Sunday News Reporter
@sirlackson
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has closed down Meryrose Learning Centre in Emganwini, Bulawayo because it was operating illegally amid indications that seven more learning centres have also been ordered to shut down in the city. The college was home to about 100 pupils who have now been forced to stay home. Bulawayo provincial education director Mr Dan Moyo confirmed an operation to close down unregistered schools in the city was underway.

“We are closing down unregistered schools. At the moment I don’t know how many have been shut down but the process is still going on. We want to remain with properly registered schools so that we can monitor if everything is being done in the rightful manner in schools.”

One of the parents whose child was affected and stays in Emganwini said the college has left a lot of pupils stranded. He said the school has even failed to comply with the parents’ request to refund them part of the fees for this term following the closure.

“We feel this is fraud because we were not told that the school was not licenced. After paying $120 per term depending on the number of subjects a child is doing and now to be told that they cannot continue is ridiculous. Where do our children go in the mid-term like this? Where do we get the money now?”

He said the owner of the school only identified as Mrs Moyo refused to refund part of the fees arguing it was not her problem that the institution was closed.

“We tried to talk to the school authorities about our fees but we did not get a satisfactory answer. Instead we were told to wait for two weeks as they are still trying to get a licence from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. We tried to report to the police but we were told that the case was still being investigated, so we cannot claim our money now,” said the parent.

The owner of the school could not be reached for comment as she was said to be out of town.