Schools Demand Fees In Forex
Most schools want to peg fees and levies in foreign currency, with some boarding schools proposing US$350 or the equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars, while day schools are proposing US$100.
This follows an appeal by the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to allow schools to charge levies and fees in foreign currency.
The schools say suppliers of educational consumables were charging them in United States dollars and it makes sense that they also collect fees in foreign currency. NASH president, Arthur Maphosa said:
NASH recommends that schools be authorised to budget in US dollars on the grounds that suppliers are charging goods and services in foreign currency.
The purchase of examination material for science and technical practicals will be a tall order unless Government allows schools to receive fees in foreign currency.
Suppliers are refusing to take the local currency and school heads will collapse at work because of this.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro told The Manica Post this week that there are procedures which schools should follow before they raise fees.
Ndoro said the Ministry will look at the applications by schools individually before new fees structures are approved and that as of now, no new fees regime has been approved.
However, some schools have already started sending circulars informing parents of the new fees structure.
