School fees shoot up by 100 percent

By Lance Guma
24 April 2006

Parents are bracing themselves for another spate of school fee increases following revelations that most government and private schools are raising tuition and boarding fees by 100 percent. It’s the second time this year that authorities have adjusted the fees. Schools are set to open for the second term next month but it looks like more children will be dropping out as the cost of learning gets out of reach of even more. Transport costs to and from schools are already a major problem and many children cannot attend school every day because of this. The new increases are set to make the situation worse.

In figures disclosed by the Daily Mirror Class B schools raise their fees from Z$2 million to around Z$4 million, while the A-schools go up from Z$2,6 million to Z$7,8 million. Boarding schools raise their fees from around Z$7,8 million to about Z$20 million, depending on the school. The Secretary General of the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) Raymond Majongwe described the increases as tragic. In his view education is a right and children should not be made to pay fees to get it. He urged parents to unite and boycott the payment of school fees altogether. Majongwe believes it’s hypocritical for government to sanction these increases, yet maintain a freeze on the salaries of its own civil servants.

Defending the increases, Jameson Timba representing the Association of Trust Schools says the increases are in line with the new Education Amendment Bill. Under this bill private schools can raise fees in line with the Consumer Price Index set by the Central Statistical Office. What this means in effect is that fees will be adjusted every term of the year until the economy stabilises. Analysts point out that poor salaries for teachers and ever increasing school fees are a sure cocktail for disaster. The education sector is in the throws of a major crisis.