Confusion Reigns Ahead of Zimbabwe's New School Term!

The first school term for 2008 is likely to open in confusion following revelations that many parents have failed to secure school fees for their children.

Most schools hiked their fees by more than 1000 % for the upcoming term and parents have been grappling to come to terms with the hiked amounts in the face of hyper-inflation and massive cash shortage that has become the order of the day.

Some boarding schools are asking for anything between $500 million and $700 million while day scholars would be expected to fork out up to $200 million for the upcoming term.

Most parents revealed that they would not be able to pay the high school fees. Some have been forced to transfer their children from boarding schools to cheaper day schools while others have been left with a hard chess to play on the future of their children, as the lowest fees figures are beyond their reach.

The high fee structures come in the wake of crumbling education standards in the country since the Zimbabwe School Examination Council took over the administration of examinations a few years ago.

Most parents have been questioning the sense behind paying such huge amounts for the circus that now reigns supreme in the education system.

ZIMSEC is still to announce its new examination fees and sources at the council revealed that parents could be in for a historic shocker when the announcement is finally made as they are anticipating a huge increase.

Meanwhile, there has been confusion over the schools opening date since pupils at some schools had been told at the end of the third term last year that schools would reopen a week earlier on January 8 2008 to accommodate presidential elections in March.

Pupils from different schools have been given different opening dates but the Secretary for Education, Sport and Culture Dr Stephen Mahere said he was not aware of the purported changes despite several schools having advised their pupils that the school term would be opened a week earlier.

"I am not aware of any communication from the ministry regarding the fact that the school term would open on Tuesday January 8. What we now want to confirm is that schools will open for the first term on January 15 as scheduled.

He said his ministry was issuing the statement in response to the confusion that had been caused by the alleged change of dates.

"Owing to problems that had been caused by the statement we have been forced to issue a statement to clear the air."

Some school authorities in the Harare had told their pupils and teachers that the first term would begin on January 8, 2008. Schools such as Prince Edward, Mufakose High Schools in Harare, Thornhill High School in Gweru and Waddon Chase Primary School in Mvurwi among others had written January 8 on their pupils’ end of term school reports as the first day of the new school term.

School authorities at Kuwadzana High 1, Kuwadzana High 2, St Johns Chikwaka and Visitation (Makumbe) High School in Goromonzi had verbally told their pupils that schools would be opened on January 8 while they were awaiting a letter from the ministry. In a related matter, Moleli High School has advised all its Form Ones to report to the school on January 12 for orientation.


* Source - Zimbabwe Gazette