Dokora says don’t punish students by denying them results for non-payment of fees, deal with the parents

Q & A:

*HON. SEN. SHIRI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government policy regarding heads of schools who are withholding ‘O’ and ‘A’ level results for failure to pay school fees?

*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we stated that the issue of fees is a case between the parents/guardians and the school, that has nothing to do with the students. When we look at the students in primary and secondary schools, they are young children who cannot appear in courts or enter into any agreement or contract as they are below the age of majority.

Heads of schools are aware of this fact since it was circulated in writing to everybody and Government policy is clear. Heads of schools, please leave students alone, give them their results but deal with the parents and guardians who are supposed to pay the fees. We have had instances whereby parents and guardians have spent more than two years promising that they will be paying the fees to the extent that the learner has written the final examination at these particular schools. This is a pain in the neck for these schools. I ask members of this august House to go and tell the parents in their constituencies that learning institutions are not for babysitting but for learning. They can only run if fees are paid.

THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Senator Mlotshwa, you are reading a newspaper….

HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I am checking something concerning what he is saying…

THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: You can go out and check then come back and contribute. Minister may you conclude your answer.

*HON. DR. DOKORA: Thank you Mr. President. I am emphasising that people of Zimbabwe should be leaders and torch bearers. Let us hold meetings with parents and guardians advising that they should honor the agreements they made with the schools that they are going to pay school fees for the sake of running the schools. No matter what we do or how teachers work, if there are no resources in these schools, schools will suffer. Let us pay our fees and our children will have better education.

*HON. SEN. MAKORE: I have a supplementary question for Hon. Dr. Dokora. We have children whose fees are paid by the BEAM programme. We have also realised that these children under BEAM have been affected because they have not been given their results and yet we already know that they are vulnerable and come from poor backgrounds. What is your policy regarding such situations?

*HON. DR. DOKORA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the chance to once again respond to this question. As a Ministry, we are aware that we have outstanding financial balances between the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The amount is almost 64 million dollars which is fees of these students on the BEAM programme.

Regardless of that problem, we are aware as a nation that we have the less-privileged who benefit from BEAM and hence they are covered by the policy stated by Government, that they are not in a position to hold a contract with the school but they should be given their results. It is known that the problem lies with the Ministry responsible for the payment of fees.

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