Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, has stated that disciplinary action is being taken against school heads who refuse to accept payment of school fees in currencies other than the US dollar, as it is a form of misconduct.
He emphasized that the government policy requires all legal tender currencies to be accepted for fee payment and that all school heads are aware of this policy.
Moyo made the remarks in response to questions in the Senate regarding measures taken against school heads who flout government directives on school fees. He said:
If they are transgressing and departing from what is policy, then they are committing an act of misconduct, which is chargeable in terms of our disciplinary procedures.
So, if that is happening and you could give us the name of the school and the head, our officers normally will be sent to the school to investigate, and disciplinary procedures will be instituted against the offending school heads.
Deputy Minister Moyo stated that the Ministry recently issued a circular outlining acceptable modes of payment for school fees, which include US dollars, Zimbabwe dollars, and digital payment methods such as swipe or EcoCash.
The Ministry is investigating reports of school heads who are turning away students who do not pay fees exclusively in US dollars, and disciplinary action is being taken against those who are found to be in violation of the government’s payment policy.
While the Deputy Minister did not provide details on the number of heads or schools facing disciplinary measures, he encouraged the public to report any such incidents to the Ministry.