Zimbabwe’s Education Minister Torerayi Moyo has issued a stern warning to schools that are violating the approved and laid down school governance procedures.
Moyo, who was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary Moses Mhike and other ministry officials, toured Oriel Boys High, Eastridge Primary in Harare and Makomo Primary in Epworth on Wednesday to assess the schools’ opening day.
The minister said he was concerned about the most common violations, such as charging school fees and levies exclusively in foreign currency, forcing parents to buy uniforms and stationery from the schools, and withholding results for Grade 7, O and A level candidates.
“In accordance with the Secretary’s Circular No. 10 of 2022, Government policy position is that school fees must be paid in Zimbabwe dollars,” Moyo said.
“No school, therefore, must force any parent to pay fees or levies exclusively in foreign currency since parents are free to pay in a currency of their choice as Zimbabwe operates under a multi-currency regime.
Moyo said schools that fail to comply with the policy will face disciplinary action, including deregistration.
Cholera Protocols and Enrollment
The minister checked whether the schools were observing the cholera protocols that were put in place in 2022 after an outbreak that killed over 50 people and infected thousands.
He expressed satisfaction with the measures taken by the schools to ensure hygiene and sanitation, such as providing clean water, soap, and hand sanitizers.
Moyo also urged the schools not to turn away any learners who want to enroll, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Schools’ Challenges and Achievements
The schools that the minister visited highlighted some of the challenges and achievements they faced in the previous academic year and their plans for the current one.
Oriel Boys High, which has a student population of 1,200, said it had improved its pass rate from 65% to 75% in O level and from 72% to 82% in A level.
The school also said it had introduced new subjects such as computer science, entrepreneurship, and technical graphics to equip the students with relevant skills for the 21st century.
Eastridge Primary, which has 1,800 pupils, said it had achieved a 100% pass rate in Grade 7 examinations and had also excelled in sports and arts.
The school said it had faced challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, vandalism, and theft of property.
Makomo Primary, which has 2,500 pupils, said it had also attained a 100% pass rate in Grade 7 examinations and had won several awards in music and drama. The school said it had received support from the government and other partners, such as the World Food Programme, which provided food aid to the pupils.
Moyo commended the schools for their achievements and encouraged them to continue working hard to improve the quality of education in the country. He also thanked the parents, teachers, and learners for their resilience and cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said had posed unprecedented challenges to the education sector.
He expressed optimism that the country would overcome the pandemic and achieve its vision of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Source: The Herald
