School heads
who fail to comply with the directive will face disciplinary action.
District-level
monitoring units have since been deployed to track compliance and handle
complaints.
Schools can
only charge tuition and levies agreed to by parents at meetings and
subsequently approved by the authorities.
Primary and
Secondary Education Minister Mr Torerayi Moyo said the Government will enforce
measures to prevent overcharging.
“The ministry
has strict measures to prevent overcharging by schools,” he said.
“For a start,
all fees must be approved by the (Permanent) Secretary, having been agreed upon
by parents.
“Schools must
comply with approved structures.
“Our
enforcement measures include district-level monitoring units to address
complaints; penalties include having the school head charged for misconduct,
among others; schools must display approved fee breakdowns publicly for parents
and guardians, and also display the ZiG account number at the administration
block.”
Some schools
have been accused of imposing unauthorised fees, forcing parents to fund
projects and introducing hidden charges.
Minister Moyo
said both paid-for extra lessons and entrance examinations for Form One
enrolment remain banned.
“Form One
entrance examinations are outlawed,” he said.
“Offending
schools risk deregistration and private paid-for extra lessons by teachers are
prohibited.
“Parents are
encouraged to report any illegal extra-lesson charges, and our command centres
established at all levels will address complaints.”
Extra lessons
are additional tutoring sessions outside normal classroom hours, often at a
fee, while entrance examinations are selection tests that some schools
previously conducted before admitting Form One learners.
Both practices
have been outlawed because they place an unfair financial burden on families.
The Government,
Minister Moyo said, was committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not
block children’s access to education.
He called on
school authorities to double down on preparing learners for end-of-year public
examinations to boost the national pass rate.
“Past papers,
revision guides and digital materials are available on ministry portals and
counselling and motivational sessions are provided to learners,” he added.
“We are happy
that Zimsec (Zimbabwe School Examinations Council) ensures secure exam
administration and timely distribution of materials.”
He added that
the Government had made significant progress in rolling out the Heritage-Based
Curriculum (HBC), introduced at the beginning of the current academic year.
The new
curriculum puts emphasis on imparting to learners knowledge about Zimbabwean
culture, practical skills and innovation.
Under the new
regime, primary education now focuses on six core areas — Indigenous Languages,
English Language, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Social Science, and
Physical Education and Arts.
Teachers, he
added, had been adequately trained to roll out the new curriculum.
“The ministry
is prioritising teacher capacity to ensure effective implementation.
“Intensive
training workshops, mentorship programmes and subject-specific panels are being
conducted for professional development.
“Updated
syllabi and digital resources will be distributed to all schools by the end of
2025; so, by now, every teacher is in sync with the HBC.
“There have
also been school visits by ministry officials to provide support and ensure
compliance, as well as webinars and information-sharing platforms to foster
public support for teachers.” Sunday Mail
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