News / National
MInistry closes school in Mutare
18 Jan 2016 at 14:29hrs | Views
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has cracked the whip and ordered the closure of Watermark College, which has been illegally operating a boarding facility for the past six years.
The ministry shut Watermark College after it failed to follow provisions of Circular P. 73 of 1991 which spells out procedures for establishment and registration of schools. The latest move follows a dossier by the provincial education director Edward Shumba in November 2015 when the school closed three and a half weeks before the stipulated date.
The premature closure was despite the fact that parents of boarder students had paid fees top-ups of between $100 and $150.
In a letter dated January 7, 2015 the acting director of policy, planning, research and development Mr E. Chinyowa informed Mr Shumba of the cancellation of authority to establish and construct Quick Academy Secondary School (Watermark College) issued in 2013.
"The authority for establishment and construction of the school was granted in accordance with the provisions of Circular P. 73 of 1991. Your report point to non compliance to this policy by the responsible authority therefore in terms of the powers vested in the Secretary in terms of the Education Act Chapter 25:04 part V Section 17 the authority to establish and construct Quick Academy Private Day/Boarding Secondary School (Watermark College) of Makoni District in Manicaland Province has been cancelled.
"Please advise the responsible authority accordingly. The responsible authority may apply to register as an independent college. Ensure the affected children are enrolled in nearby schools."
Acting PED Clara Kanoerera confirmed the receipt of the letter, adding that Watermark co-director Mr Barnabas Nemaire was served his copy by the district schools inspector for Makoni Mr Arkim Jiji, on Tuesday.
"That school (Watermark College) was closed immediately after it had opened its doors on Tuesday, and the ministry is not retracting its position. The responsible authority refused to listen to our sound advice, opting to do things on their own. They rejected our supervision and gave a deaf ear to our advice.
"Look, we have standards and procedures that should be strictly adhered to when establishing a school, and if you go there you will notice glaring inconsistencies that do not conform to the ministry's specifications. The size of the land on which that school was built is too small and the classrooms are substandard. They were also operating an illegal boarding facility where students were squatting in rented houses under squalid conditions," said Mrs Kanoerera.
"We tried to advise them but they opted to do their own thing, and this is the result of being immune to professional advice. They had no permission and it was illegal for them to operate as a boarding school. Those young pupils were forced to live under squalid conditions, yet the ministry has standard designs for classrooms, toilets, dining halls, dormitories and the recommended hecterage to establish a boarding school," added Mrs Kanoerera.
The ministry shut Watermark College after it failed to follow provisions of Circular P. 73 of 1991 which spells out procedures for establishment and registration of schools. The latest move follows a dossier by the provincial education director Edward Shumba in November 2015 when the school closed three and a half weeks before the stipulated date.
The premature closure was despite the fact that parents of boarder students had paid fees top-ups of between $100 and $150.
In a letter dated January 7, 2015 the acting director of policy, planning, research and development Mr E. Chinyowa informed Mr Shumba of the cancellation of authority to establish and construct Quick Academy Secondary School (Watermark College) issued in 2013.
"The authority for establishment and construction of the school was granted in accordance with the provisions of Circular P. 73 of 1991. Your report point to non compliance to this policy by the responsible authority therefore in terms of the powers vested in the Secretary in terms of the Education Act Chapter 25:04 part V Section 17 the authority to establish and construct Quick Academy Private Day/Boarding Secondary School (Watermark College) of Makoni District in Manicaland Province has been cancelled.
Acting PED Clara Kanoerera confirmed the receipt of the letter, adding that Watermark co-director Mr Barnabas Nemaire was served his copy by the district schools inspector for Makoni Mr Arkim Jiji, on Tuesday.
"That school (Watermark College) was closed immediately after it had opened its doors on Tuesday, and the ministry is not retracting its position. The responsible authority refused to listen to our sound advice, opting to do things on their own. They rejected our supervision and gave a deaf ear to our advice.
"Look, we have standards and procedures that should be strictly adhered to when establishing a school, and if you go there you will notice glaring inconsistencies that do not conform to the ministry's specifications. The size of the land on which that school was built is too small and the classrooms are substandard. They were also operating an illegal boarding facility where students were squatting in rented houses under squalid conditions," said Mrs Kanoerera.
"We tried to advise them but they opted to do their own thing, and this is the result of being immune to professional advice. They had no permission and it was illegal for them to operate as a boarding school. Those young pupils were forced to live under squalid conditions, yet the ministry has standard designs for classrooms, toilets, dining halls, dormitories and the recommended hecterage to establish a boarding school," added Mrs Kanoerera.
Source - Manica Post
