Maravi

(HERALD) Coltart must act on errant schools

Coltart must act on errant schools
Harare

EDITOR — School development associations have become irrelevant in the context of the interface between parents, the school and Government at large. In fact, it has become pointless attending SDA meetings.

For instance, at Prince Edward, the SDA committee decides in its board meetings to wilfully go against Government directives that parents should not be responsible for paying teachers’ salaries.

Government says one thing, we agree with it as parents in the SDA, but someone somewhere decides that we should pay teachers.

I have noticed that this is something that is going on in many schools across the country. Parents everywhere are complaining about their children being sent home because they have not paid the contribution to the salaries. Where is the Government when all this is happening?

Education Minister David Coltart does not appear to be committed to protecting the interests of parents and students. Whose interests is he protecting? Why does he issue directives that he does not seem to care about ensuring compliance with?

While I did not agree with a number of things that former education minister Aeneas Chigwedere did, at least he was active when it came to protecting the interests of parents and guaranteeing the rights of the child to education.

I remember at one point President Mugabe even said he was waiting for Minister Chigwedere to do something about the outrageous fees that were being asked for by Hartmann House in Harare.

This shows that the President also had faith in Minister Chigwedere’s ability to clamp down on ridiculous activities at schools.

Where is the minister right now? We are being abused by schools all over the country and all the minister does is plead for patience.

I appreciate what Minister Coltart has done so far to revive the education sector but he must be reminded that at the end of the day it is our interests that he has to cater for.

He is a public official and if he appears unconcerned when everyday the media is full of stories of parents and children being short-changed by schools then there is something wrong.

Minister Coltart, please do something about recalcitrant school authorities before we lose faith in him as a public official.

Concerned Parent.
Greendale,
Harare.

Labels: DAVID COLTART, NEOLIBERALISM, SCHOOL FEES

posted by MrK @ 4:48 PM