The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, January 22, 1993— HEADMASTERS in some former Group A and boarding schools in Bulawayo have reported a substantial drop in enrolment as more parents transfer their children to less expensive schools in the high density suburbs.

In interviews yesterday, the headmasters said parents were finding it difficult to pay high fees and were therefore sending their children to less expensive schools in the high density suburbs.

The headmistress of Eveline High School, Ms Martha Mguti, said the number of pupils enrolled at the school had dropped substantially this year, resulting in the reduction of classes and redeployment of several teachers from the school.

“Seven teachers were redeployed to other schools as we were overstaffed due to the reduction in the number of pupils enrolled this year,” she said.

According to Ms Mguti, the worst affected classes were Form One and Three.

“Even though I cannot give ready statistics on the number of pupils who moved to other schools, it was substantial as we had to shed off seven members of our staff,” she said.

The headmaster of Gifford High School, Mr Anthony Menne, said several pupils, particularly from Form Three, had transferred to other schools and a number of pupils who had registered for Form One had not turned up.

At Hamilton High School, the headmaster also expressed concern that some pupils were being transferred to schools nearer to their homes.