Elite schools in trouble for withholding results
TWO elite schools have been sued for withholding Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examination results over outstanding tuition fees.
Gateway High School in Harare and Lomagundi College in Mashonaland West landed themselves in trouble with parents of the affected students who sat for their Cambridge examinations in 2023.
The parents engaged Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to force the schools to release the results of their children.
In its latest report, ZLHR said Chinopfukutwa filed an urgent application at Chinhoyi Magistrates Court seeking an order compelling authorities at Lomagundi College to furnish the parents of the child with his Cambridge Advanced Level examination results within 24 hours.
In the court application, Chinopfukutwa argued that withholding the pupil’s examination results over outstanding fees was unlawful and extortionate.
The human rights lawyer contended that the pupil was immobilised in the planning of his educational future as deadlines for applying for some programmes at university had already elapsed.
The application will be heard and determined on Thursday.
In the case of Gateway High School, Chinopfukutwa wrote a letter demanding the release of Ordinary Level examination results for a 16-year-old pupil.
The human rights lawyer said parents of the minor child had engaged school authorities on several occasions without success despite suggesting a payment plan for outstanding fees.
Chinopfukutwa told the school authorities that the child cannot enrol for an Advanced Level as a result.
The lawyer said withholding the students’ results was unlawful and violated their right to education as enshrined in section 4(1) of the Education Act.