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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has revived Civvies Day which it banned three years ago.

Officials at the Ministry’s Matabeleland North province ordered all schools in their jurisdiction to hold a “special” civvies to fundraise for the 3rd Education Conference and Expo 2017 set for Harare at the end of next month.

The Chronicle is in possession of a circular signed and sent by Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director Mrs Boitathelo Mnguni to District Schools Inspectors (DSIs) in the province that ordered all schools to hold a civvies day on July 21.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is organising a 3rd conference where all heads of primary and secondary schools are expected to attend. The conference will run from 30 August to 1 September 2017. Delegates will travel on 29 August and 2 September and each delegate is expected to pay $100 conference fees,” read part of the circular.

It continues: “In view of the above, the province has therefore organised that all schools hold a civvies day on Friday 21 July at $0.50 per learner in order to raise funds to cushion from the expected expenses that will be incurred. The amount raised should be forwarded to each district office for onward submission to the province.”

The circular is date stamped July 18.

In an interview, Mrs Mnguni said it is a once off event as the province targets to raise a minimum of $10 000 to send about 700 delegates.

“That’s a genuine letter and it’s a special civvies because we have a problem as a province. We need to capacitate and facilitate the conference but we can’t take money from school fees as that may promote abuse of funds in the institutions. We want to send a minimum of 700 school heads with each paying $100 conference fees besides transport and accommodation and we are targeting to raise about $10 000 from this civvies,” she said.

The $100 excludes transport, accommodation and meals.

Mrs Mnguni said some schools could not hold the civvies last Friday because of the Presidential Youth Interface Rally that was at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane.

She said they should provide a new date which will be supervised by DSIs.

“Schools were supposed to have civvies day on Friday and those who couldn’t communicated through DSIs about their new dates,” said the PED.

She said no school would be allowed to hold any other civvies day.

Mrs Mnguni said the Ministry has records of all registered schools and their enrolment hence will only demand an equivalent of such.

She said the province was also appealing for donations in kind from well-wishers.

Civvies Day is a day on which schoolchildren are allowed toattend school in civilian clothes.

Government banned it three years ago accusing schools of profiteering while also insisting that it discriminates against the poorer students.

Some schools would charge each pupil up to $3 each to be allowed to attend classes in their civilian clothes.

Some private schools still hold Civvies Day with a private college in Victoria Falls doing it every Friday.

@ncubeleon