MP intervenes in Mahatshula Primary School row

A Bulawayo Member of Parliament had to intervene in a case where a headmistress at Mahatshula Primary School was reportedly turning away children for non payment of fees to the dismay of the parents.

Schools opened last week Tuesday but children whose fees was not yet paid were turned away promoting the parents to seek the intervention of Bulawayo Metropolitan MP Jasmine Toffa.

The school fee at Mahatshula is $61 per term.

The parents who are residents at Mahatshula held a meeting with Toffa telling her headmistress of the council run, a J Mambayo was refusing to listen to their pleas.

Their children were consequently turned away despite government policy that no child should be turned away for non-payment of fees.

This prompted Toffa to to call the headmistress who told she was busy with some funeral arrangements, of which afterwards she would be at a meeting.

"The following day she made excuses again. I met parents as the MP who asked me to talk to the school authorities on their behalf because their children were deprived of an education.

"They asked me what they should do as they were unemployed and could not yet make payments plans as they had no steady income," the legislator said in an interview with Radio Dialogue.

The legislator noted that it was shocking that the parents seemed terrified of the headmistress.

"Some of the parents were told in front of their children not to bring them to school. Imagine the psychological effect on the children.

"Their child rights and the constitution is infringed. We are not saying don't pay fees, it is their duty to pay but we are asking schools to be flexible," she said.

Toffa said in the absence of the headmistress, she then met with the school's deputy head who was unable to respond to her.

"The following day, I went to the school around 7.45 am and I witnessed the parents walking out with their children. I once again asked to see the Headmistress, she was not in. I called her on the phone and told her I was with some of the parents. She disputed that children were turned away and said there was no such thing, indicating that the parents could have left on their own.

"The headmistress then told me to tell the deputy head to deal with the issue. Although that sounded wrong I discussed with the deputy head. Eventually the deputy head took down names of the children who were out indicating payment plans had to be made," Toffa said.

During break time, the legislator said the deputy head went to classes checking the class registers and told those who were present to pass message that those who were absent should come back to school.

"One parent said he had two children and had paid the city council and made a part payment so he was trying to negotiate so that his children could attend classes. But the headmistress laughed at his face and told him to return once he had the full fees," she claimed.

The affected parents also concurred with the legislator, saying their failure to pay fees was unintentional.

"We are unable to pay fees on time but we will pay eventually. The school has to understand our situation, not all of us are able but we shall pay," said one woman who refused to be named in fear of her child being victimised.

Toffa stressed it was wrong to turn away children but schools should come with means to make parents pay.

"The issue is not the children, it is the parents. Schools should either try to engage debt collectors or think of ways to make parents pay.

"Some of these parents are unemployed and most are vendors who said they cannot commit to a flat figure per month but are able to pay whatever they raise. The parents asked the school to be flexible and accept whatever they had," she said.

The legislator was due for a meeting with the headmistress to discuss a way forward that would work on both the schools and children's favour.

Toffa is an MP for Bulawayo representing MDC under proportional representation.