Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
A SCHOOL principal in Retreat, Waterfalls, has been arrested over missing Grade Seven examination fees for 41 learners.
Rosemary Matunga, principal of Emirates Primary School, was arrested after authorities alleged that she failed to remit examination fees for the General Certificate in Education (GCE) examinations.
Parents and guardians were forced to meet officials from the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) for a way to be found to enable their children to sit for the examinations, which began yesterday.
Emirates Academy transferred payments for only six learners who were registered at Hatfield Primary School, where the examination centre arrangements were available.
Emirates Primary School does not have an examination centre number.
The academy’s owner, identified only as Mr Pereka, is reported to have left Matunga to face the music alone.
Parents and guardians threatened to stage a demonstration against Pereka before ZIMSEC officials addressed their concerns.
They said they paid their examination fees and they were not informed that the school failed to remit the money.
“We were not told that the school failed to pay for the examination fees,” one parent said.
“We all paid the fees, but the school decided to squander the money. We questioned their professionalism.”
Another parent said ZIMSEC intervened after they threatened to protest.
“After threatening to demonstrate against the school authorities, ZIMSEC officials asked to meet us and allowed our children to sit for the examination at another school,” the parent added.
The allegations also raised questions about accountability at the school.
“School authorities failed to account for the examination fees, leading to the arrest of the principal,” a parent said.
Contacted for comment, Pereka confirmed the case saying he was sorting it out.
“Yes, our school is yet to register to become an examination centre but everything is being sorted,” he said.
