Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE 2025 third school term commenced seamlessly in Manicaland, with no challenges reported as teachers returned to the classrooms to deliver tutorials and prepare examination classes for the forthcoming Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examinations.
On Monday, boarding school learners were seen boarding school or public buses in major towns, returning to their respective institutions.
On Tuesday, day scholars attended school without incident, as school heads heeded Government’s call to engage with hard-pressed parents and establish payment plans, rather than sending learners away for non-payment of school fees, thereby depriving them of valuable learning time.
In the lead-up to the new term, parents, guardians, and learners engaged in last-minute back-to-school shopping in various areas, beginning late last week. Manicaland Provincial Education Director (PED), Mr Richard Gabaza said inspections conducted across the province revealed a seamless start to the learning process in all districts.
Mr Gabaza only cited Checheche Secondary School in Chipinge, where a long queue of parents and guardians intending to negotiate for more time to pay school fees was witnessed.
“We have not received any adverse reports regarding the reopening of schools for the third term. Everything went smoothly, and we are pleased to note that there were no negative incidents or challenges. Our provincial inspectors visited some schools and were delighted to report that the reopening process was hitch-free.
“We only received a report from Checheche Secondary School, where a long queue of parents and guardians formed to negotiate school fees payment plans with the school authorities. Otherwise, the rest of the province reported a smooth start, with no notable incidents – it was business as usual,” said Mr Gabaza.
Mr Gabaza commended some school authorities in Manicaland for their mature handling of USD and ZiG payments.
Government directed schools to accept payments in local currency, but some school heads have been defying this directive,
insisting on payment of the entire school fees component in foreign currency.
This has caused hardship for some parents who have had to convert their Zimbabwean dollars on the black market, further exacerbatingthe exchange rate and making it unaffordable.
“We are also pleased to note that school authorities appear to have heeded Government’s call to accept both USD and ZiG as forms of payment for school fees. Unlike in the past, we did not receive any complaints. Parents and guardians were able to use the currency of their choice, and schools readily accepted it,” said Mr Gabaza.
Schools are now accepting the ZiG in order to settle statutory obligations, such as Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) payments, National Social Security Authority (NSSA) contributions, and utility bills.
As schools open, the police have also called on authorities to monitor behavioural changes among learners in order to detect possible drug and sexual abuse.
The police are urging transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are certified roadworthy before transporting children to school, while drivers are advised to exercise caution, avoid speeding, and comply withall road rules and regulations to prevent road traffic accidents.
“As schools open for the third term, police are appealing to parents, guardians and school authorities and the general public to prioritise the safety and security of school children. Police urges transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are certified fit before attempting to transport children to schools. Drivers should exercise caution, avoid speeding and above all, motorists are implored to comply with all road rules and regulations to prevent road traffic accidents. Parents and school authorities should ensure that learners do not travel at night as this can expose them to various risks, including road traffic accidents. School authorities and transporters should ensure buses and other forms of transport to be utilised for movement of learners are not overloaded.
“Additionally, school authorities are being urged to deposit school fees and tuition related costs at financial institutions. This precautionary measure will help minimise the risk of robbery and theft, as large sums of cash at school premises attract criminal attention,” reads a statement from the police.
