Zimbabwe govt says demanding school fees in USD only is illegal
It is illegal for schools to demand fees in United States dollars only without the alternative for parents to pay in local currency, the National Assembly heard on Wednesday.
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It is illegal for schools to demand fees in United States dollars only without the alternative for parents to pay in local currency, the National Assembly heard on Wednesday.
The Government has given the green light to schools and parents to work out a pro-rata system for the third term’s school fees for non-examination classes, as some pupils will only have face-to-face learning for 30 days.
The Government will soon penalise schools that are charging parents “extortionate fees” in local currency while demanding lower foreign currency amounts that do not correspond with the country’s Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) auction rate.
Dominican Convent High School pupils were yesterday barred from entering the school premises or classes for failure to pay fees amid uproar from parents.
The Government has not approved any requests for fees increases, and schools have been warned against doing so ahead of opening day next week.
Some parents are in shock after a number of schools hiked fees for next year’s first term to as high as $12 000, although Government yesterday said it had not approved any increases.
LINGFIELD Christian Academy, an upmarket private school in Gweru has taken a parent to court for defaulting in the payment of more than US$28 000 in school fees for his four children enrolled at the institution.
It was again a last minute back to school shopping rush at the weekend and yesterday as parents and guardians prepared for the children’s return to school for the Second Term.
Most boarding schools in Matabeleland have increased fees to between RTGS$1 200 and RTGS$1 500 a term and many parents said they are contemplating withdrawing their children because they cannot afford the fees.
There was drama at Masvingo’s Victoria High School recently when parents nearly exchanged blows with the school head during an annual general meeting (AGM) after he proposed to hike fees to $1 000 from $570 for boarders.