Parents with children enrolled at Solusi Adventist High School have raised an outcry after the school reportedly demanded that they pay an extra US$100 towards fees.
The parents claimed Solusi had effected a 33 per cent school fees hike and now required an additional US$100 for every child.
They said the additional charge does not appear on the school’s fee quotation sheet while authorities also failed to give a convincing explanation.
Parents also accused the school of not clearing children whose parents were paying fees in Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS).
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Director of Communications and Advocacy, Taungana Ndoro said they have not approved any fee hike and urged parents to report this matter at their district education office. Ndoro said:
No school fees went up by 33 per cent. It’s the number of days that increased, not the approved fees per day.
Did they agree as parents and the school? They must report to the district office.
Parents allege that when they inquired on the School’s WhatsApp communication group, the SDC chairperson, Dumisani Ncube, “blocked the parents from commenting on the group and changed the function to allow only administrators to comment.” The parents said:
Parents’ complaints and requests on the school WhatsApp group fell on deaf ears while the SDC Chairman insisted on the payment of the US$100.
When parents pay what’s on the quotation form in RTGS they are denied clearance and their children will be denied access to board the bus or deny entry to school.
As school fees payments are underway, school authorities sent parents another communique on their WhatsApp group informing them that only cleared learners will depart from the Bulawayo City Hall at 8 am on 5 September 2021.
Contacted for comment, the Solusi SDC chairperson declined to comment and referred questions to the school. He said: “I am not the rightful person, contact the school.”