The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE Government says it will shut down all unregistered schools and colleges that have sprouted throughout the country with reports that there are about 100 that are operating illegally in Bulawayo.
The issue of illegal colleges was raised by the Bulawayo Independent Colleges Association (BICA) secretary-general Mr Elliot Ndlovu during a recent interface with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cde Torerayi Moyo in Bulawayo last week.
“Bulawayo has 37 registered independent colleges, but we have got over 100 (unregistered colleges) in Bulawayo at the moment. Each morning we wake up to a new college having opened. It affects those that are operating within the framework of the law. We are asking the Government to come in and assist us in this area. Operating in this kind of an environment is difficult for our members,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Minister Moyo said he was aware of the mushrooming of illegal schools and colleges in the country and ordered them to close before the relevant authorities visit them.
“You rightly pointed out that the number of unregistered schools is above 100 and I am saying those schools should stop operating before we conduct an operation to close them,” he warned.
The BICA secretary-general also lamented the discrepancies in examination fees between formal schools and independent colleges.
“A student from an independent college pays US$24 per subject whereas those from our counterparts in the formal school pays half of that, this is affecting students. We are asking the minister to look into this issue. This has led to some students dropping out of school as their parents cannot afford the fees,” said Mr Ndlovu.
The minister, however, said the Government was subsidising learners who are attending public schools, which he said was the norm globally while those who send their children to private colleges are assumed to be able to pay the examination fees.
Independent colleges also lamented over practical subjects that are not available for learners in independent colleges as the Zimbabwe Schools Education Council (Zimsec) does not allow them to register.
“As independent colleges, you cannot offer practical subjects I think because of space, you cannot offer Agriculture if you are operating from your house, neither can you offer Metalwork. We have a circular that speaks to the issue of space. For a primary school, we expect a minimum of three hectares but we are saying let us review the number of hectares that are allowed for people to construct primary or secondary schools. We need to review our circulars so that those who want to operate proper schools that are registered should not have a challenge in terms of space, that three hectares or 15 ha needed for you to construct a secondary school,” said Cde Moyo.
The minister also spoke about construction work at various schools in Bulawayo that is not yet complete saying the matter was with the fiscus and Government was going to ensure that all construction projects were completed through funds from partnerships such as the Global Partnership in Education, which launched a fund of US$48,8 million which that will be distributed to schools over a period of three years.
He said satellite schools around the country were going to benefit from the fund this term. — @NyembeziMu
