The government of Zimbabwe has condemned unilateral school fee increases, after reports emerged of a significant rise in fees charged by both public and private schools. This increase has caused a worrying rise in school dropouts.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education secretary Moses Mhike the schools should not increase fees without first discussing the matter with the ministry and the parents. He stated that schools should be reasonable in setting fees, taking into account the ability of parents to pay.
Any fee hike approval of any school comes through the ministry through an application, where we know a parent’s assembly has been done for that purpose and then agreed upon. He said the Government communicates to the school if its application has been approved or rejected.
Primary and Secondary Education Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said every school is supposed to display at the school notice board, the correspondence of the approved fees structure from the ministry.
According to a report from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the rate of students dropping out of school has been rising in recent years. In 2021, the proportion of primary school dropouts was 0.53%. The proportion of secondary school dropouts decreased from 3.99% in 2017 to 3.09% in 2019, before increasing to 3.28% in 2020 and 4.67% in 2021. In 2022, the proportion of primary and secondary school dropouts in Zimbabwe was 0.44% and 4.44%, respectively.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that around 500 000 children of school-going age are currently out of school Obert Masaraure, president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said. The right to education is facing an assault through incessant fee hikes. Schools should not milk more than is necessary from struggling parents.
Recently, there have been reports of learners at St Faith’s High School in Rusape, Makoni District in Manicaland Province, protesting against a US$600 mission fund that was demanded by the school’s responsible authority. The protesters argued that the fee was too high and not affordable for most families. The incident highlights the ongoing concerns about the affordability of school fees, and the need for greater government oversight.
