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35 private schools face prosecution
Extracted from The Herald
February 05, 2004

Herald Reporter - Thirty-five private schools have been handed over to the police for prosecution after they increased fees and levies without Government approval, the Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Cde Aeneas Chigwedere said yesterday.

If found guilty, the school development committees or boards for the 35 schools would be dissolved.

This follows the suspension, pending disciplinary hearing, of 13 heads of Government schools on Tuesday for increasing fees without approval.

Some parents yesterday hailed the suspension of defiant school heads saying the move would ensure that children from humble families are not priced out of school.

Cde Chigwedere yesterday released a list of the 35 private schools.

These are Arundel, Bishopslea Primary, St George’s College, Chisipite Senior, Chisipite Junior, Eaglesvale Preparatory School, Eaglesvale Secondary, Hartman House Primary, Heritage Primary, Heritage High, Gateway Primary, Gateway High, St John’s College, St John’s Preparatory School and Lusitania from Harare region.

In Manicaland, there is Hillcrest College while Barwick Primary was so far the only school from Mashonaland Central handed over to the police.

In Mashonaland East, the minister named Peterhouse Boys, Peterhouse Girls, Peterhouse Junior and Watershed College.

In Mashonaland West, there is Bryden Primary, Lomagundi College, Lomagundi Junior, Lilfordia Primary, Rydings Primary, while in Masvingo there is Kyle High, Kyle Primary and Riverton Academy.

Cde Chigwedere said Carmel Primary, Dominican Convent, Girls College and Petra College, all in Matabeleland North, Falcon College in Matabeleland South and the Midlands College in the Midlands Province, were also handed over to the police for prosecution.

He said the 35 schools should immediately revert to the fees and levies they charged last term.

"This should be done until they negotiate new fee structures with the ministry," he said.

All schools need written approval from the ministry before they can increase fees or levies by more than 10 percent.

Cde Chigwedere said the law would take its course against the schools in question while an appropriate penalty would be imposed on them.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed that the schools had been handed over to the police.

He said investigations were currently underway.

"The schools in question have been handed over to our police stations throughout the country and investigations are still in progress.

"As soon as we complete our investigations, we will charge them according to the relevant sections of the law," he said.

Some schools were now demanding as much as $7 million a term.

A parent, Mr Paul Tsikai of Harare, said: "We welcome this move because many schools in the country were now being run like businesses which put profits before anything else."

He said good education was slowly becoming a preserve of the rich.

"Even factory workers like me should be able to send their children to a relatively good school but at the moment, that is proving impossible," said Mr Tsikai.

Ms Catherine Chiparange of Marlborough said it was high time the ministry introduced tougher measures against school heads and SDAs.

"We want them to be answerable to Government because our children in boarding schools get pathetic meals and are staying under terrible conditions yet we pay huge sums of money," she said.

"It would be better if we were paying high fees and our children were being looked after well but that is not the case and there should be some explanation as to what the levy hikes are for."

An SDA member from one of the 13 schools affected dismissed the Government’s move, saying as long as there was no written communication, the SDA in question would continue operating.

"How long have they been saying they would act to stop schools from increasing levies? And when did they ever do it? They should just stop confusing people," he said.

Others said people should just put their children in schools they could afford and boycott those they considered expensive.

"It is no big deal to send your child to a school that costs $7 million if you can afford it," said a parent who would only identify himself as Mr Muchina.

However, the move to suspend the school heads and SDAs that had defied the directive not to increase fees without the ministry’s approval appears to be impractical since the fees and levies had already been paid.

Cde Chigwedere said those who had already paid the new "illegal" fees should have the excess credited against the fees and levies due next term.

The affected schools include Prince Edward High, Mutare Boys High, Bindura Primary, Chancellor Primary, Godfrey Huggins and Fletcher High.

Cde Chigwedere said the process of flushing out defiant schools was far from over as teams from his ministry were still out in full force scouting for those breaking the law.

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