Students who fail to pay fees must alert universities: Minister

STUDENTS who have not paid their fees must notify their respective student affairs departments in advance so that universities can permit them to write examinations, according to Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation Science and Technology Development minister Amon Murwira.

He said when students come too late and the examination is in progress, “nothing can be done”.

Murwira claimed some students were “shy to declare their poverty” and were, therefore, barred by digital systems.

Murwira’s comments come after legislators recently questioned the government’s policies on underprivileged students at State universities who are prevented from taking examinations due to nonpayment of tuition fees.

This week, several students at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo were unable to write their examinations after failing to pay fees and register.

In his response, the minister said the government had introduced the work-for-fees programme and the student loan scheme.

However, he said the loan scheme had a “low uptake”.

“When they come too late and the examination is in progress, there is nothing that we can do, but because I am speaking in public and for the public record, it is very important that any student who might be anticipating a problem has to approach the student affairs department,” Murwira said.

The minister said the government and universities work with structures, which are “organised systems and there is no chaos.”

“Based on that, we are saying our desire is for a student who might not have had any chance to pay fees to say so, so that they are waived,” Murwira said.

“These things are happening everyday and so, this is the government’s position when it comes to this. It is in our interest to have all our students write examinations as quickly as possible so that we can use them to industrialise and modernise this country. If there is a specific case that needs a specific attention, we are here.”

The minister also stated that “education is not free”.

“It means that we have to pay for it. The public has to pay for it. The State has to pay for it, especially for it to be of quality that can result into knowledge and skills that are giving us the capability to develop this country,” he said.

Murwira said the government started experimenting with this programme in 2019.

“This programme is very mature. If you go for example to Midlands State University, we have more than 300 students who are on this programme,” he said.