SCHOOL headmasters are proposing charging fees in United
Sates dollars or the equivalent at the interbank exchange rate, saying the
local currency's volatility during
the COVID-19-induced school closures had left them in huge
debts.
The National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) said the
move would ensure the viability of schools, which have to buy supplies in
foreign currency.
"NASH recommends that schools be authorised to budget
in United States dollar," NASH president Arthur Maphosa said after a
virtual meeting on Friday.
"Provisions of Statutory Instrument 185 of 2020 offers
scope for local and foreign currency. On the ground, suppliers are charging
goods and services in foreign currency. This is now the norm in urban and rural
areas."
Maphosa added: "NASH further recommends that schools
be allowed to charge approved pre-October 2018 fees in US$ or bond equivalent
using auction rate if the request for US$ is not accepted."
The association said the government could set benchmarks
for fees or a range that every school should apply.
"Government subsidy to schools is required as fees
collected from Forms 4 and 6 only would be grossly inadequate to meet all
school costs which include water, electricity, salaries of school development
associations' workers, communication systems, fuel, vehicle insurance policies,
and other essential services," NASH said.
On Zimbabwe Schools
Examination Council (Zimsec) examinations, NASH said schools were incapacitated
to purchase Zimsec prescribed chemicals for practical subjects which were
expensive and charged in foreign currency.
They recommended that Zimsec should provide examination
materials and chemicals as schools had no capacity and were reeling under debt.
From the onset of the rainy season, the headmasters said,
schools with huge enrolments needed assistance with tents, while those with
incomplete infrastructure should also be assisted so that it was completed
before the examinations.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira
Zhou said schools had negative balances and had no capacity to do anything to
guarantee COVID-19 compliance.
"There has not been any infrastructural development
and acquisition of appropriate furniture to guarantee social distancing,"
Zhou said.
"There has not been recruitment of more than 50 000
teachers needed to guarantee a teacher-pupil ration of 1:20. The government is
not forthcoming in availing funds to schools in order to combat COVID-19,
thereby failing to prioritise the health and safety of teachers and
pupils."
He said cleaning and disinfection of schools, particularly
those that had been used as quarantine centres, had not been done, adding that
government also had no capacity to test all students, 136 000 teachers and 50
000 ancillary staff in less than two weeks.
Zhou urged government to review teachers' salaries so that
the educators could be motivated to report back to work. Newsday
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