By Nyasha N Mukapiko
Scores of students from government owned high schools failed to sit for their end of year exams due to late payment of school fees, The Zimbabwe Sentinel can reveal.
Some students who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were barred from the examination rooms for close to thirty minutes as school authorities demanded that they settle their outstanding fee arrears.
“We were delayed for thirty-minutes yesterday because we failed to pay our school fees on time, our headmaster promised to continue doing so until we settle our debts”, said a student from High-field High 1.
Chapter 4 of the Zimbabwean constitution, Part 2 under Fundamental Human Rights Section 75(1) states that every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to-(a) a basic state-funded education, including adult basic education; and(b) further education, which the state, through reasonable legislative and other measures, must make progressively available and accessible.
In a bid to get some clarifications from the schools executive, yesterday this reporter visited two schools in High-field to assess the situation on the ground.
At Mukai High School, exams were progressing very well but scores of students could be seen sitting in groups outside classrooms.
In an interview with the Deputy Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Samhaka, she denied the allegations saying there was nothing like that at the school.
“We do not bar students from writing their exams, every student must not be disturbed during examination times, if we wanted to send them home we could have done that before the exams, however I cannot speak on behalf of other schools,” said Samhaka.
She added that many students had not fully paid their school fees arrears but they were writing exams.
“Taking cognisance of the economic hardships being encountered by many parents, when we discover that fees were haven’t been paid in time, we sent them letters requesting to come over and have dialogue unlike sending them back home, if they do not respond that’s when we engage debt collectors,” added Mrs. Samhaka.
At High-field High 1, this reporter met the Acting Headmaster Mr. Imbayaro who denied reports that students were being denied entry into exam rooms.
“We do not normally entertain people from the media, if what you are saying is true bring the student who gave you the report,” said Imbayaro.
Another student from High-field high 2 who also spoke on the same situation but refused to be named for security reason said she had been delayed with other five pupils for forty –five minutes after the start of the exam on the previous day.
“I was delayed only to be allowed entry on the last minute and they tell us it’s going to continue until the last exams meaning we are not going to come up with anything,” she said trying to hold back her tears.
She went further to highlight how the late payment of fees had affected her performance saying it had negatively impacted on her studies.
The District Education Officer Mr Mafukidze of High-Glen District expressed ignorance on the issue saying he had not received reports of such actions.
Mafukidze said they were also facing challenges with the sponsorship of vulnerable students in some government schools with the Basic Education Assistance Module(BEAM) not being effectively utilised to alleviate the plight of vulnerable children in the country.
When asked to comment on the criteria they use to list students to go under sponsorship he said the students should be orphans or those with parents who are not working.
“That’s the criteria which must be used but however we might find students with eligible parents on the same list,” said Mafukidze.
Director of ZimRights Okay Machisa said it was not proper to bar students from writing their exams.
“How can you bar students from writing exams, they are infringing their right to education, the Ministry of Education must issue a statement to allow students to write their exam” ,Mr Machisa said.
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