Headache for parents as schools demand US$ fees

TATENDA CHIKARA IN CHIVI

Parents are feeling the pressure of having to pay school fees in United States dollars amid fears of a drop in learners, Business Times can report.

A number of parents that spoke to this publication, said they were reeling under a harsh economy. They said they will struggle to pay the fees in hard currency, meaning their children will soon be sent back home.

“We do not know what to do right now. We do not have the money,” a villager in Chivi said this week.

Another villager said: “Schools are charging us between US$30 to US$50. It is too much. We plead with the government to help us with this.”

It comes at a time when the government has threatened to sack heads of government schools who illegally hike school fees.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou urged the government to assist rural schools with equalisation funds to bridge educational gaps with urban schools.

“This will also assist in equipping children with enough knowledge,” Zhou said.

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president, Obert Masaraure said: “Looking at government sentiments that it was going to make education free in 2023, it seems to be a pipeline dream because we calculated the money allocated to education it’s not enough.

“We see that the government has failed to offer free education because from the budget each child will get ZWL$576 the whole year which is not enough.”