Private School Charges US$1 500 In Enrolment Fees

Some private schools have hiked tuition fees for the 2023 first term, citing rising inflation.

Arundel School in Harare has pegged its 2023 school fees at US$2 980 per term for day schoolers, while boarding schoolers will have to fork out US$5 150, reported NewsDay.

According to a circular released by the school, learners will fork out over US$1 500 in enrolment fees for Form 1 places. The circular reads in part:

Our country’s economic challenges and US$ inflation continue to present difficulties as costs increase in real terms.

Despite this, I assure you that the board remains committed to strategically pursue all avenues to keep costs at reasonable levels without compromising the quality of education offered at the school.

Last month, Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro told State media that government will not block schools from charging exclusively in foreign currency if the majority of parents agree on the decision. He said:

If parents have a consensus we cannot stop them, if they agree as a majority that they want to pay for their children in foreign currency we will not block them.

Yes, we have the policy that says schools cannot charge exclusively in forex, but remember we are dealing with a community of parents and if they collectively decide on something, we will not stand in their way.

However, speaking to State media on Monday, Ndoro backtracked on his previous remarks, saying if parents have free funds in foreign currency, they can pay but no school must force any parent to pay in foreign currency.

Ndoro added that if schools have pegged fees in foreign currency, parents must be allowed to pay in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate of the day the fees are paid.