Government has warned schools not to turn away pupils with pending fees and tuition saying it is illegal.
Speaking during a tour of Westlea Council Primary School in Harare on Tuesday to assess interventions put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 following the reopening of schools, primary and Secondary Education secretary Tumisang Thabela warned schools authorities against turning pupils away for non-payment of fees as learners’ right to education was an inalienable right which could not be compromised.
Thabela urged parents to lodge complaints through the ministry’s toll-free line if they are faced with challenges relating to learners being turned away by school authorities.
“Parents who have queries about schools raising fees without approval from the permanent secretary or sending children away, we now have a toll-free line 317 where you can tell us your problem and will try to the best of our ability to assist.”
“We cannot continue to deal with schools as if they are at a position where we just have to be drawing money from parents for survival. COVID-19 showed us that fees are not there all the time, but schools need to survive to pay its employees. Through our ministry, we came up with a commercial projects policy where every school should be run as a commercial entity and be able to survive from other disruptions,” she added.
Several schools have reportedly been chasing away pupils who have not settled their fees, particularly those in boarding schools. School authorities were said to be demanding cash upfront before children could enter school premises.