Ducking fees payment unwise

THE moment she stepped out of my car, the loud elderly woman, who had her fair share of pimples, put on an old doek and torn waist cloth before entering her son’s schoolyard.

DESPITE having been tucking into a pricey spicy chicken piece and portion of chips from a famed fast-food outlet, the mother of four was on a mission to plead poverty to the school authorities so that they could not turn away her children for non-payment of fees.

This was despite the fact that the school term was nearing its end.

So well-choreographed was her ruse that anyone seeing the shameless woman for the first time would cry, thinking she was having it rough. She resembled an unweeded garden. Her voice was tuned low to elicit sympathy from whoever cared to incline an ear to her crafted sob story.

“I am not going to pay the outstanding fees now because there are many other competing interests, plus I also need to survive. Life is hard for everyone, so the headmaster must let my children learn until such a time when I become comfortable to pay up,” the woman said before leaving to execute her “evil” plan.

Sadly, this woman is a classic example of people who pull schools back yet they will be expecting them to progress and produce results.

Cases of people who are reluctant to pay school fees are now shooting through the roof and there is need to nip such practices in the bud.

Consistent payment of fees provides cash flow that allows a school to cover various expenses, including teachers’ salaries, maintenance, resources and operational costs. By fulfilling their financial obligations, parents contribute to the overall financial stability of the school.

This also ensures that schools do not lag behind in terms of development. Additionally, it enables schools to keep abreast with changes in resources like information and communication technology, and related gadgets.

Forty-four years after attaining independence from British colonialism, it is sad to learn that there are groups of people who believe they can spite the headmaster, teachers and their enemies in school development associations by not paying fees. Some people are so used to freebies that they cannot even spend on empowering their children.

Education, according to experts, is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.

Fee payment is made in exchange for service or advice. Free education sounds new and attractive. Unfortunately, it is financially and ethically wrong in a developing country like Zimbabwe, which requires resources to undertake various projects and programmes.

“It is barely three weeks before schools close for the first term holidays but we still have parents who have outstanding fees. These people want their children to be allowed into class next term yet they know we need fees to run.

“We have tried to send out notices on the importance of paying fees, but still people do not take heed,” one headmaster told this writer.

“Some teachers and headmasters have previously been assaulted for daring to ask parents to pay up or just for sending learners in arrears back home. Zvinonyadzisa.”

While his school is open to payment plans, the headmaster decried that some parents come forward just to ensure their children are admitted into class before disappearing to where only God knows.

An unwise parent bragged at the bar last weekend: “Headmasters and teachers will never drink tea with my money.

“I will never pay the fees when they want and will only pay when I want. I am not a fool who finances other people’s comforts.”

Gentle reader, it is essential to ensure we meet our school fee obligations so that the institutions concentrate on imparting education into the minds of our children and not expend time going after debtors. It bodes well for parents and guardians to ensure fees are paid in full before the beginning of each school term or where there is a payment plan, to honour the terms of the arrangement.

Let us not shoot ourselves in the foot. Inotambika mughetto.

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