SYDNEY MUBAIWA
MASVINGO- Parents at Ngomahuru Primary School in Masvingo are up in arms against the School Development Committee (SDC) over the committee’s proposal to increase fees by 50% without proper consultations.
In December last year, the committee held a meeting with a handful of parents proposing to increase the fees by 50 percent from US$40 to US$60.
The development has sparked an uproar as some parents feel the fee increase was not justified.
In a letter to the school authorities, parents who spoke to The Midweek Watch revealed that they had no problems with a fee increase, but due process should be followed.
“We are reliably informed that you coerced some very parents during this December holiday and held a meeting, did the meeting have the quorum as per SDC guidelines?
“We therefore request the cancellation on what you agreed on, including the introduction of the building levy which you pegged at US$20.
“We want a clear statement as there is a donor who initiated the construction of that alleged block.
“The borehole levy must be removed forthwith as the project was completed, what is the reason behind continued payment of such. The fees should be slashed down from US$40 to US$30. We also need to remind you that you are going against the government policies as you are denying the payment of school fees using local ZiG currency,” reads part of the letter.
In an interview with The Midweek Watch, SDC chairperson Lucia Chirima said the levy was introduced to facilitate the construction of a classroom block which is still at foundation level for three years now.
“Parents should take this serious, we should give priority to the development of our school, they should know that the levy is paid just once during the year, next term they will pay the usual US$40,” she said
