ZANU PF has expressed concern over the deaths of pupils in schools, extra lessons, and the charging of exorbitant fees including some exclusively in foreign currency.
This is contained in the party’s Central Committee Report adopted at the 7th National People’s Congress which ended in Harare on Saturday.
ZANU PF’s Department of Education said action should be taken to address the mentioned issues. Reads in part the report seen by The Herald:
Congress will recall that several cases of students deaths at boarding schools have been reported. It is the view of the Department that when students are at school, the headmaster and teachers are in loco parentis, and should take good care of students.
Counselling services should be widely and easily accessible at all schools. We urge Congress to take a definitive stance on this matter.
ZANU PF also condemned the charging of exorbitant school fees saying those doing so deliberately destabilising the local currency.
The party said parents had complained that the fees being demanded by some schools are too exorbitant.
The Department recommended the de-registration of non-compliant schools.
ZANU PF also suggested that there were deliberate attempts by some teachers to sabotage the formal teaching framework by focusing on extra lessons. Read the report:
Many teachers are not attending to students during normal working hours choosing instead to do it in extra lessons where a fee is charged. If this situation is left unchecked, we risk creating a black market for education.
Congress should therefore come up with a clear policy regarding the issue of extra lessons.
The Central Committee Report said the Education Department also received reports of schools offering boarding facilities that have adopted the habit of demanding groceries over and above school fees.