Times Of Swaziland: MINISTER WARNS SCHOOLS: SEND OWING OVCS HOME, FACE CHARGESMINISTER WARNS SCHOOLS: SEND OWING OVCS HOME, FACE CHARGES

MINISTER WARNS SCHOOLS: SEND OWING OVCS HOME, FACE CHARGESMINISTER WARNS
SCHOOLS: SEND OWING OVCS HOME, FACE CHARGES
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Sibusiso Zwane on 08/02/2025 09:17:00


MANZINI - Head teachers who send orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) home
for school fees will be dealt with harshly!
This is because according to the Minister for Education and Training Owen
Nxumalo, the issue of head teachers who send OVCs home due to unpaid school fees
has been discussed in Cabinet and something is being ‘cooked’ to tackle this
concern.“Once there is evidence that a head teacher has sent home an OVC for
school fees, that administrator will be charged and it is not going to be
nice,” the minister said sternly.
Challenges
Nxumalo said this when addressing head teachers from schools across the country
during their meeting which was held at Mfanyana Hall in Manzini yesterday
afternoon  and was aimed at discussing and tackling challenges faced by the
administrators in schools in order to improve the education of the country. He
warned the head teachers to stop sending OVCs home for school fees and
highlighted that this warning does not come from just him, but from Cabinet.
He emphasised that things are going to be bad for those who fail to heed to this
warning. He even urged them to be careful so that they do not become an example.
The minister said instead of sending OVCs home for school fees, head teachers
should at least engage government regarding a review of the grant.
He added that sending an OVC home for school fees is bad like the issue of
teachers who ruin pupils’ futures by impregnating them and then get punished
by being transferred to another school. He said this because the teacher’s
life will continue as if nothing has happened, yet the child will struggle.
On the same note, Schools Manager - Under Secretary Lungelo Nhlengetfwa said as
a ministry, they have learnt that some primary schools, where education is free,
parents are asked to pay a deposit upfront before their children could be
admitted.
He said they have gathered that these schools charge deposits ranging between
E800 and E1 500. “Cabinet frowns at this and those who have taken parents’
monies should return them or else they will be served with ‘show cause’
letters,” Nhlengetfwa said.
Procedure
He reminded the head teachers that there is procedure to be followed before a
school can be allowed to charge a top-up fee. He said there should a meeting
between the school (administration and school committee) and parents. He said
once they agree that more money is needed, they should apply to charge top-up
fee to the minister for Education and Training, through the Regional Education
Officer (REO).
Again, he said even if the minister can allow them to charge a top-up fee, they
should not demand it from parents or guardians who do not afford it. He said
everyone is aware the free primary education (FPE) grant is not enough, but
emphasised that they should follow the laid down procedures if they want to
charge top-up fees.
On the other hand, he highlighted that minister is knocking almost every day at
the Minister for Finance’s door to ask for a review of FPE. He said in the
meantime, schools should learn to live within their means by basing their budget
on what they have, instead of budgeting beyond what their coffers have.
The schools manager also told the head teachers that the ministry is aware that
some of them ask pupils to bring firewood, printing and tissue papers and if
they do not, they are sent back home. “Let me warn you, this amounts to top-up
fees too,” Nhlengetfwa said.