UPROAR OVER US$2 AT SCHOOL

Ashley Mujoma

NETTLETON Primary School parents are at loggerheads with the educational institution authorities over a US$2 payment.

The parents are accusing the school’s leaders of forcing them to pay an extra US$2 to fund a new financial management programme.

The parents claim they were forced to pay the extra US$2 so that the headmaster, deputy headmaster, SDC chairperson and two accountants attended the programme in Murehwa.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said there was nothing wrong with this arrangement.

However, one of the parents told H-Metro that this was gross abuse of office.

“They should not take advantage of our suffering as parents.

“We pay school fees, transport fees and now tonzi bhadharai mari ye trip yahead and team.

“It’s not fair and it’s not our mandate,” he said.

Another parent said the SDC should find ways of funding such trips without bothering parents.

“We are failing to pay for our children’s trips, and teachers need money for extra lessons starting from ECD, of which we are paying US$15 per month for ECDs and US$20 for other grades.

“Tofemera kupiko isu vabereki. Chasara tichanzi lunch yematicha, zvikorobho zvemu toilet, if we tolerate this,” she said.

One parent said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should intervene and stop the rot in schools.

“Imagine, when our children enrolled for ECD, we were forced to pay non-refundable US$10 interview fees and no receipts were issued.”

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro, said there was nothing amiss about the situation at the school.

“The school is merely requesting parents for financial support in a programme activity and no one is being forced as alleged,” he said.