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Government has once again warned school authorities against sending pupils home for non-payment of fees saying the schools that dare take such illegal action risk being closed.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema told our sister paper Sunday News that schools that bar pupils from attending classes for non-payment of fees will be closed. Schools are opening today for the first term for examination classes and the rest of the classes are opening next Monday.

Minister Mathema said school heads were aware of the Government position regarding the issue of fees and those that decide to defy the Government directive have themselves to blame when their respective schools are closed.

We want to quickly point out that the Government warning should not be misinterpreted to mean that it is condoning non-payment of fees by parents or guardians. Parents have an obligation to pay for the education of their children and as such every start of the school term, it is incumbent upon each and every parent to ensure the school fees and levies are paid.

Most schools want fees paid on or before the start of each school term. The contract to pay school fees according to a High Court ruling a few years ago, is between the school authorities and the parent. What this entails is that in the event of the parent failing to meet his or her contractual obligation, the school authorities should take legal action against the defaulting parent.

Government position on fees and levies is consistent with the High Court ruling. It is against Government policy to send pupils home or punish them for failing to pay school fees or levies.

Pupils whose parents fail to pay school fees and levies should be allowed to attend classes while school authorities take measures to force defaulting parents to meet their part of the bargain. School authorities have however over the years defied Government directive that no pupil should be sent home for non-payment of schools.

Many schools have continued to send pupils home and it seems Government has over the years been threatening to punish the defiant school authorities but no action has been taken. The school authorities have realised that these are just empty threats hence they continue to send pupils home for non-payment of school fees or levies and this time around Minister Mathema should punish defiant schools to send a clear message that no school is allowed to defy a Government directive.

Boarding schools that provide buses to ferry pupils from the various centres to the schools at the opening of each school term, do not allow pupils who have not paid the fees to board the buses.

Education is one of the rights that must be enjoyed by all Zimbabwean children regardless of one’s social status. The school authorities that decide to send pupils home or refuse them permission to attend classes for non-payment of fees, are denying such pupils their right to education and are therefore guilty of an offence.

How do school authorities intend to compensate these pupils for lost learning time when their parents finally pay the outstanding fees? We want at this juncture to implore the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure no pupil is sent home for non-payment of fees as is Government policy. Those that decide to be defiant should be punished.

Parents on their part should appreciate the importance of paying fees and levies. School authorities need money to run schools and this money comes from fees and levies. The situation is worse for boarding schools that have to provide food to all pupils including those that would not have paid fees.

Parents should therefore strive to ensure that fees are paid on or before the start of each school term to ensure smooth running of the schools. It is parents who demand quality education and school authorities can only provide this quality education if they have adequate resources.

Parents should not allow school authorities to take legal action against them for defaulting in paying fees as this might prove very costly.
We want to once again call on school authorities to avoid punishing the innocent pupils for non-payment of fees while at the same time urging parents to strive to meet their obligation to pay fees.