Govt Approves Increase In Boarding School Fees

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo yesterday told The Chronicle his ministry approved an increase in boarding school fees following proposals by school authorities following an increase in the prices of basic commodities.

As a result some schools have hiked their boarding fees by nearly 100 percent from what parents were paying in the third term last year. Schools such as John Tallach High School, Hlangabeza High School and Sacred Heart High School are among the schools that have hiked their fees. Moyo however said fees should not be a barrier to education. Said Moyo:

Basically the issue (boarding fees hike) has been necessitated by escalations in the market and the schools considered that they might not be able to sustain themselves with the old budgets. However, fees should not be a barrier to education. As much as possible we must charge what is affordable to a targeted community. We should not create schools that are exclusive and at the end of the day create a huge barrier to access to education.

Parents who spoke to The Chronicle, criticised the fees increase in the middle of the term saying it would disrupt to their planning and budgeting.

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