The Zimbabwean on Sunday has established that most boarding schools gave parents up to May 2 to purchase foodstuffs for their children at the boarding schools on top of their school fees.The food items included a 2kg packet of sugar, 2kg beans, 4kg rice, 40kg of mealie meal, soups, 2 litres of cooking oil and cereal.These basic food items are only available on the black market at exorbitant rates and cost just below $10billion, a figure that most of the country’s work force does not earn.
Some of the boarding schools that sent students back home for failing to bring food include, Mtshabezi, JZ Moyo, Thekwane and Milton.Parents, who spoke to The Zimbabwean on Sunday, said boarding schools where their children learn have indicated that students who fail bring the stipulated food items will continue to be barred from entering the school premises.
Mrs Nomalanga Khumalo said she was desperate for money after her daughter, who is a student at Mtshabezi High, was chased away over the weekend because of failure to buy food.My daughter has been home for the whole week after she was chased away from school. They said there is no food for my daughter as she cannot eat the food bought by other parents, Mrs Khumalo said.Headmasters who spoke to The Zimbabwean on Sunday defended the action, arguing that students face starvation if they do not buy their own foodstuffs.
We do understand the financial position of parents, but there is nothing that can be done. The fees that they pay is not adequate enough for the schools to buy food and run other chores, said one headmaster who refused to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the press.No comment could be obtained from Aeneas Chigwedere, and Education Minister on the matter. The government last year warned boarding schools against such a practice that is defended by headmasters who argue that the controlled school fees falls far short of meeting the basic needs of schools.
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