U-TECH STOPS TOP PUPIL’S BURSARY
MBABANE- A pupil’s future remains bleak after she was cut off from her tuition which was fully-sponsored by her school.
The Grade 10 pupil from U-Tech was told to pack all her belongings and go home on the first week of schools opening, after being told that her bursary had expired.
The name of the pupil is known to this publication but will not be published to avoid victimisation.
In 2016, the pupil obtained a commendable position among the top 50 in the country in one of the schools around the Manzini Region.
It was later published that she could not further her studies because her unemployed mother could not afford school fees. It was also mentioned that she was underprivileged as the house she was living in was dilapidated.
This was during the time when Mavela Shongwe was the head teacher at U-Tech. Shongwe has since retired.
In response to the pupil’s plight, U-Tech High School decided to sponsor the pupil’s tuition which was to the amount of E140 000.
Boarding
It is said that this was an amount which would cater for her entire high school education, including boarding fees. There is also a media report which this publication is in possession of, outlining the amount of money pledged to cover the pupil’s school fees.
Narrating the incident, the pupil’s mother said she was called by her daughter on January 22, 2019 who informed her that the school’s administration had summoned her. She said this was at around 4pm.
The child’s mother stated that she could not go to Big Bend on the same day because it was already late and she had no bus fare.
On the following day, the mother mentioned that she boarded a bus and went to the school. “I arrived at the school and was told by the school’s administration that it was 2019 and my child’s bursary had expired because the head teacher who had granted her the bursary was now gone. “I was informed that things had changed and if I wanted my child to be enrolled this year, I had to meet the school halfway and pay E21 000,” she lamented.
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