Ministry clarifies extra lessons not illegal

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has clarified that extra lessons are not illegal under current policy, but warned that they become a disciplinary offence when teachers charge learners for them.

This was revealed by the Ministry's Director of Communications and Advocacy, Taungana Ndoro, who said while offering additional academic support is encouraged to improve learning outcomes, demanding payment for such lessons amounts to corruption.

"Let's start with the extra lessons, for instance. They are not illegal by their nature as per our policy," Ndoro said in a statement. "You can have extra tutorials as a teacher because you want to explain a certain concept within a learning area. Our problem comes when a teacher starts to charge for extra lessons."

He emphasised that the Ministry has zero tolerance for corruption, and warned that even an allegation of soliciting money for extra lessons can lead to a suspension pending investigation.

"We are not lenient on anyone who is found to be corrupt. As a Ministry, we have now adopted a policy where even an allegation of corruption would get you suspended," said Ndoro. "Madam Nyaude has to show cause that she didn't charge for any extra lessons."

Ndoro said teachers who charge learners for extra tutorials often discriminate against those whose parents cannot afford to pay, effectively denying some pupils access to quality education — even after school fees have been paid.

"Once they charge for extra lessons, they identify children with parents whom they know can pay. Then they start to discriminate against others who cannot afford to pay," he said. "So what happens is that paying learners receive the full curriculum, while others are disadvantaged. That is where the corrupt element of extra lessons comes into play."

The Ministry is also cracking down on teachers who use government facilities, such as classrooms, to conduct paid private lessons, labelling such conduct as an abuse of office.

"Some are even very daring — they conduct these extra lessons within our schools, within the classroom premises," Ndoro said. "That becomes abuse of office because the classroom is provided by the government for the benefit of all learners, not for private income generation."

He added that other teachers attempt to avoid detection by conducting paid lessons at off-site locations, but warned parents about the risks involved with such unregulated setups.

"Some teachers conduct these extra lessons at some other dingy facilities," Ndoro cautioned. "We always warn parents that they run the risk of exposing their children to other misdemeanours within those sorts of settings."

The Ministry has urged parents to report any cases where teachers are demanding payment for extra lessons, promising swift action to protect the integrity of Zimbabwe's education system and ensure equal learning opportunities for all pupils.