admin
Scores of pupils especially from schools in the eastern suburbs of Bulawayo could be seen as early as 8am going back home after being sent away for non-payment of fees.
Others could be seen in the company of their parents in the city centre after failing to convince school authorities that they would pay fees later.
Some pupils were in town until around midmorning after being denied entry into classrooms.
The Provincial Education directors for Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo, Mr Dan Moyo, Mrs Agnes Gudo and Ms Clara Dube said the Ministry would make a follow up with school authorities that were defying the directive not to send away children for non-payment of fees.
“I will check with the heads of those schools to find out why they are sending pupils away when the directive is clear,” said Mr Moyo, without giving details of the measures that would be taken.
His Gweru counterpart, Mrs Gudo said: “I have sent my officers around schools to see the progress of the schools opening day and I am yet to get feedback. It is not proper for the school authorities to send children away especially on the opening day like this. I will do a follow up and act accordingly after receiving the reports.”
“All headmasters caught sending pupils home for not paying fees instead of communicating with parents will definitely face the full wrath of the law. This also applies to those who raise fees,” said Ms Dube.
She said her office has deployed inspectors in all districts to assess the situation on the ground.
“We have deployed officers to all primary and secondary schools. As I speak they are assessing the situation and by tomorrow afternoon we expect feedback,” she said.
Some of the schools in Bulawayo that sent children home are Milton Junior, Bulawayo Adventist High School, McKeurtan Primary and Platform College among others.
Those in western suburbs reportedly told pupils who have not paid fees in full, that they would not be allowed in class today.
Maranatha High School in Nketa reportedly sent messages to parents via Short Message Service (SMS) reminding them to pay or have their children sent back home.
Parents who spoke to Chronicle said school authorities told them that their children would not be allowed in class until they paid fees in full.
“The children were not even allowed into the school premises. They were made to queue outside the gate and asked to produce receipts as proof of payment.
“Those who had not paid were sent back home. Only those who were in the company of parents entered the school premises, but to no avail, as the headmaster told us that no child would be allowed into class until we pay fees and levies in full,” said a parent with a child attending Milton Junior school.
She said fees range between $84 for old pupils and $140 for new pupils.
“It seems schools from the eastern suburbs are the only ones sending away pupils. I do not think western suburbs schools are doing the same,” said another parent, who identified herself as Mrs Ndlovu and had accompanied her child to McKeurtan Primary School.
A group of girls from McKeurtan were spotted playing in the city centre, a situation that could put their lives in danger because of the volume of traffic.
They said they had been told to bring $100 for fees.
Those from Platform College along Lobengula Street said they were told to pay $150 fees per term in full.
Some parents whose children go to Umgusa Primary School along Gwanda Road phoned Chronicle offices complaining that the school authorities had sent children away and told them never to return to school again, as those with money had filled up the places.
“Our children were sent home and the headmaster told them not to return to school again saying he had brought new pupils from the western suburbs. He said he would only allow those who had paid $66 in full and none of the pupils had paid because people are not earning enough at Macdonald Bricks where most of the parents are employed. We are now worried because our children spent the whole day playing in the streets while others were at school,” said a parent.
At Stanley Primary School in Gweru, pupils who had not paid their fees were forced to sit in the open in the school grounds as punishment before they were later told to go back home.
Thornhill High School pupils could be seen milling around the school entrance as the school authorities demanded fees receipts as proof of payment before one could be allowed to enter the school gate. Later, the affected pupils were seen in the city centre on their way home.
There was, however, drama at Riverside Primary School as pupils who were made to wait outside the gate because they had not paid fees later overwhelmed the security personnel and forced their way into the schoolyard.
The school authorities, however, later assembled the pupils and drove them out of the school premises. Those with receipts were allowed to enter the schoolyard.
l To Page 2
Online Reporter