News / National
Bulawayo City Council-run schools propose fees hike
09 Aug 2019 at 07:25hrs | Views
BULAWAYO City Council has proposed an upward review of school fees by $10 for its schools effective third term this year.
According to the latest council minutes, Council is no longer financially capacitated to procure most essential goods and services needed for the daily running of its 30 schools around the city.
Council fees were last reviewed in November 2018 for implementation in January 2019.
According to the proposed rates, fees will go up from a range of $25 to $30 depending on schools to a maximum of between $35 and $40.
"Since the approval of the fees and Council budget there have been changes in the Monetary Policy which have brought about the ZW$ which is now based on the inter market bank rate.
"The above changes in the Monetary Policy have resulted in the spiralling of basic goods prices and the resurgence of inflation that had gone up to 175.6 percent as at June 2019," read the council minutes.
"School fees review was applied for separately to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for approval.
"The proposed review took into account cost of textbooks which went up from around $15 to around $100 in the majority, bond paper from $6 to $70, uniforms, transport costs and general stationery and telephone charges also went up significantly."
BCC director of housing and community services, Mr Dictor Khumalo, explained that tuition fees and levies were determined by the Government and that the $10 increase would only cater for sports and text book levies.
"The funds will be remitted back to schools to enable them to purchase textbooks and to also cater for various needs with regards to sporting activities.
"Education is subsidised by Council and this increase will only reduce the deficit by a small amount of over ZW$2 million - a figure which came out of the 2016 Audit report," said Mr Khumalo.
According to the latest council minutes, Council is no longer financially capacitated to procure most essential goods and services needed for the daily running of its 30 schools around the city.
Council fees were last reviewed in November 2018 for implementation in January 2019.
According to the proposed rates, fees will go up from a range of $25 to $30 depending on schools to a maximum of between $35 and $40.
"Since the approval of the fees and Council budget there have been changes in the Monetary Policy which have brought about the ZW$ which is now based on the inter market bank rate.
"The above changes in the Monetary Policy have resulted in the spiralling of basic goods prices and the resurgence of inflation that had gone up to 175.6 percent as at June 2019," read the council minutes.
"School fees review was applied for separately to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for approval.
"The proposed review took into account cost of textbooks which went up from around $15 to around $100 in the majority, bond paper from $6 to $70, uniforms, transport costs and general stationery and telephone charges also went up significantly."
BCC director of housing and community services, Mr Dictor Khumalo, explained that tuition fees and levies were determined by the Government and that the $10 increase would only cater for sports and text book levies.
"The funds will be remitted back to schools to enable them to purchase textbooks and to also cater for various needs with regards to sporting activities.
"Education is subsidised by Council and this increase will only reduce the deficit by a small amount of over ZW$2 million - a figure which came out of the 2016 Audit report," said Mr Khumalo.
Source - chronicle
