Times Of Swaziland: REO ORDERS SCHOOLS  TO REFUND TOP-UPS

REO ORDERS SCHOOLS  TO REFUND TOP-UPS
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 BY SABELO MAZIBUKO on 12/03/2014 05:12:00


MBABANE – Hhohho Regional Education Officer (REO) Thuli LaNgwenya has issued a
directive that all schools should refund top-up fees collected from learners.
Circular No. 17 of 2013, a document issued last year, was on Monday given to
head teachers.
The circular was directed to all head teachers, school committees and
chairpersons as well as schools’ managers or grantees.
The circular suspends the collecting of top-up fees and withholding of
examination results.
LaNgwenya said: “All schools that have collected top-up fees from learners
without written permission and approval from the Minister of Education and
Training should refund such funds to guardians and parents in the most
cost-efficient way deemed fit by the school and its committee.”
The REO further advised all schools still withholding learners’ examination
results and end-of-year performance reports to release them with immediate
effect.
She advised head teachers that all pupils in Grade I to Grade VII shall not be
charged top-up fees except in compliance with the Free Primary Education (FPE)
Act of 2010.
LaNgwenya said for pupils in Form I to Form V, no monies shall be added to fees
paid by government. She said the circular supercedes any other circular on the
subject, particularly Circular No. 14 of 2012 entitled ‘Non Admittance of
Orphaned and Vulnerable Children for failure to pay top-up fees’.
On Monday, primary school head teachers and school committee members were
summoned to the Regional Education Offices in Mbabane concerning unpaid Free
Primary Education (FPE) cheques.
The head teachers claimed the cheques had not been deposited to their various
schools’ bank accounts because they had charged top-up fees.
As a result of the delayed payments, the head teachers claimed operations had to
be halted in various schools.