There was chaos at Waterfalls Primary School in Harare last week when over 40 pupils were turned away after it emerged that their names were not on the school register after having been smuggled into class by a teacher allegedly working in cahoots with a driver.
This was discovered by the new deputy head after some
teachers complained that they had about 60 pupils in one class.
An investigation by the school later revealed that a number
of pupils were not registered with the school, but had been attending classes
since last year.
According to an official at the school who requested
anonymity, a normal class at the school ranges from 40 to 45 students depending
on the size of the classroom.
Parents who spoke to NewsDay alleged that a teacher, Samuel
Chitambara (27) and Fanuel Mutopo (driver), as facilitators between parents and
administration, collected money ranging between US$50 and US$100 as enrolment
fees, but they converted the money to their own use.
“We paid money in United States dollars and were given
school bank details to pay fees. We bought uniforms and paid fees at the bank
and our children went to school just for a week before they were turned away.
This has been happening for the past few years, but the new staff in the admin
exposed everything, we were duped,” one of the parents said.
Contacted for comment, an official at the Primary and
Secondary Education ministry’s Highfield and Glen Norah district offices
admitted on condition of anonymity that there were over 40 unregistered
children coming in complete school uniform at the school since the opening of
schools after the COVID-19 lockdown.
“It is true that parents were deceived by Chitamba and
Mutopo and were duped to pay money ranging between US$50 and US$100 per child,
but we have advised all parents who are victims to report the issue to the
nearest police station so that we can work together to investigate this issue,”
the official said.
“The school is not in a position to refund money which was
handed direct to the duo in US dollars, but those who had deposited fees in our
bank accounts will be refunded.
“Some of the duped parents are police officers.” The source
added that the district set up a taskforce that was still investigating the
matter and was given up to April 15 to give feedback to the Education ministry.
“A few parents are willing to co-operate, others are using
emotions. I was even booed by the parents when I arrived at the school last
week, which becomes difficult to investigate since parents are bitter as they
demand a guarantee that their children be enrolled at the same school despite
that the school has no capacity to recruit more students beyond what is
required by the ministry,” one of the investigators said. Newsday
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