BCC admits economy is bad, as parents struggle to pay fees

The Director of Health Services Zanele Hwalima recently reported that the economic environment in the country had continued to deteriorate and most people were struggling to make ends meet hence parents failed to pay children's school fees at council run schools.

According to latest council report, in July there was a frenzy in the labour market with the judgement which saw people being terminated from work with three months notice.

"As previously reported in past reports, payment of fees had been a struggle with more parents owing fees for a number of terms and some for a year or more," reads the minutes. "At the end of the second term 2015 parents were owing a total of $1 079 544.00 against payment of $509 282.50 for all the thirty (30) Council schools. The payments up to the end of September 2015 were pegged at $257 362 with $1 423 270 owing for tuition fees. It is hoped this figure would reduce as the year and term came to a close."

The minutes states that there had not been any payments for Beam pupils for all the schools with third term 2014 fees still owing.

"This amounted to $46 695 for tuition fees and $44 462 for Parent Teacher Association (PTA) levies," reads the minutes."There had been a slight increase of enrollment from 39481 pupils at the end of second term to 39532 as at 30 September 2015. The Section through the Heads of schools had continued to implore parents and guardians to make payment plans to clear their indebtedness to the schools."

The minutes states that Councillors were also requested to mobilise the communities in their wards to support the education of their children by honouring their obligations.