Some parents in Bulawayo expressed dismay over the decision by some boarding schools to demand top-up fees in the middle of the second time.
Parents who spoke to the Chronicle said that they understand schools are operating in an inhospitable environment but at the same time it is hard for them to raise the required amounts.
Mrs Rosemary Mhlanga from Pumula told the publication that she was struggling to clear arrears, let alone pay the top ups. She said:
It’s not easy because some of us are still struggling to clear the fees and we have other children back home who need to be fed and go to school.
Another Bulawayo resident Mr Edwin Ndebele from North End revealed that parents are now being driven into debt. He said:
This situation is forcing us into debt and it’s not healthy at all. Education is a basic human right and as parents, we can’t deny our children access to school but the situation has become unbearable. I hope the Government finds a solution soon.
However, an official at one of the schools demanding top-up fees told the Chronicle that at the start of the term, the ZWL$1 200 parents were asked to pay was considered adequate.
But now since the situation in the country has reached another level, parents have been asked to pat ZWL$300 as top-up fees.