Parents And Guardians Are Obliged To Pay School Fees And Levies - Ministry Of Education

3 months agoTue, 09 Jan 2024 19:51:13 GMT

Parents And Guardians Are Obliged To Pay School Fees And Levies - Ministry Of Education

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) has reminded parents and guardians about their responsibility to pay school fees. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the ministry stated that fees are crucial for the functioning of schools. They also warned schools that were violating school governance procedures by charging fees and levies only in foreign currency or imposing unapproved fees and levies. The ministry emphasized that schools should charge approved fees and levies, allow parents to purchase uniforms and stationery wherever they choose, and not withhold results for outstanding fees. The ministry said no child should be sent away from school for non-payment. Read the statement:

REMINDER ON SCHOOL GOVERNANCE, PROCEDURES

It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education regarding violations on approved and laid down school governance procedures. The following are some of the common violations:
• Defying the Government directive to charge only approved school fees and levies;

• Charging school fees and levies exclusively in Foreign Currency (commonly in United States Dollars);
• Forcing parents to purchase school uniforms and stationery exclusively at their schools; • Withholding of results for Grade 7, 0 and A level candidates.
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1. Schools to Charge Approved School Fees and Levies
All institutions providing Primary and Secondary Education are reminded that they are bound by the procedures to be followed when making school fees adjustments according to Secretary’s Circular No. 1 of 2023.
The Permanent Secretary shall not approve any increase of fees or levies sought in respect of the next term unless the increase of such fees and levies are justified by reference to some basis other than the application of the consumer price index. Further, the proposal to increase fees or levies must be approved by a majority of the parents at a meeting of the School Parents Assembly attended by not less than twenty per centum of the parents. Once the Permanent Secretary has approved the fees and levies. a copy of the approval letter must be displayed on the school public notice board for all parents and guardians to refer.
2. Charging School Fees Exclusively in Foreign Currency
In accordance with the Secretary’s Circular No. 10 of 2022, Government policy position is that school fees must be paid in Zimbabwe dollars (ZWL). 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. If fees are pegged in foreign currency for value preservation, parents must pay school fees in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate of the day the transaction is made.
3. Purchase of Uniforms and Stationery at Schools
Pursuant to recent public pronouncement by the Honourable Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cde Torerayi Mayo, the Ministry reiterates that parents and guardians are free to purchase uniforms and stationery wherever they find it cheaper in line with the specifications by the schools.
Head of Schools and Responsible Authorities are therefore, warned to abide by this directive and desist from making it mandatory for parents to purchase school uniforms and stationery exclusively at their schools.

4. Withholding of results for Grade 7, 0, and A-level candidates
In line with Secretary’s Circular No. 3 of 2019, no school should withhold results for Grade 7. 0 and A level candidates while demanding outstanding arrears for fees and levies. The contract of undertaking public examinations in Zimbabwe is between ZIMSEC and the candidates while the obligation to pay fees and levies remains with the parents and guardians.
Parental obligation on payment of fees and levies
Parents and guardians are obliged to pay approved school fees and levies as required by the school to meet its operational costs and overheads. No child must be sent away from school for non-payment of fees and levies. In that regard, the contractual agreement on payment of approved fees and levies remains with the parents/guardians and the school.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education continues to strive to provide access to quality, relevant, inclusive, equitable and wholesome education for all Zimbabweans.