Mthokozisi Ncube
PARENTS at St Paul’s Gokwe Primary School are fuming after school authorities allegedly issued an illegal directive barring pupils from proceeding to the next grade unless their school fees are fully paid. The move has reportedly left several children stranded and facing exclusion.
The provincial education office has denounced the illegal situation.
Parents say the decision violates education regulations and unfairly punishes innocent learners over fees their families cannot afford. A memo issued by the school authorities confirming the directive reads: “Our school authority is taking this communication as a reminder of what was agreed during our last meeting. We agreed that non-payment of fees forbids promotion to the next grade level.”
The school is situated in Gokwe, along the Kwekwe–Gokwe Road, about a kilometre before Gokwe Centre.
Efforts to get a comment from the school were unsuccessful. The headmaster, Owen Chikara, referred B-Metro to Father Mugara, who is the Catholic Vicar General of Gokwe Diocese that runs the school.
Father Mugara did not comment, saying he was busy.
Zimbabwean law prohibits schools from excluding pupils for non-payment of school fees, a principle reaffirmed by the Constitution, the Education Act, and government regulations.
The Provincial Educational Director for Midlands, Machimbira Jameson, said: “If there is such a practice, then this is not only unlawful but also not within the policies and practices of MOPSE (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education). The office will spare no effort to ensure that no child is treated unjustly by the school authorities. All alleged cases of denial of learners to move to their rightful classes will be investigated.”
Under Section 75 of the Constitution, every child has the right to basic state-funded education. This means learners cannot be denied access to school or progression to the next grade because their parents cannot pay fees.
The Education Act (Chapter 25:04) further protects children’s rights. Section 4 guarantees access to education without discrimination based on social or economic status, while Section 68C explicitly prohibits excluding pupils from school for non-payment of fees or pregnancy.
The law is reinforced by Statutory Instrument 13 of 2025, which directs that no pupil shall be excluded from school for failing to pay fees or levies.
In light of these laws, parents and guardians are encouraged to report any school that unlawfully bars pupils from attending classes or progressing to the next grade.
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