Zimbabwe schools shut down in fees dispute

Police and education authorities shut down 45 private schools across Zimbabwe today in a long-running dispute over fees.

Junior and senior schools catering mainly for the nation’s ruling and wealthy elite raised fees and overcharged for their services without the authority of the government, the Education Ministry said in a statement.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said police details were posted at school gates where administrators defied regulations on fees.

Children were turned away and boarders living on campus were seen being collected with their belongings by their parents.

An estimated 30,000 pupils were affected, including a son of President Robert Mugabe and children of many ministers and ruling party leaders.

Irate parents argued with police outside one school.

“Things are bad enough here without being stopped from getting the best education for your child if you can afford it,” said one father who refused give his name, saying he feared reprisals against his daughter. .

The schools were scheduled to reopen today after the Easter holiday. Hundreds of government-run schools opened as scheduled.

The private schools have argued they were forced to increase fees to meet escalating costs, spiralling inflation and soaring land taxes and power and water costs.

They say they have had to raise teachers’ pay to keep qualified staff.

Urban land taxes known as municipal rates, power and water costs have trebled this year.

One private college in northern Harare posted a notice on the gate saying it was closed until further notice while the dispute was being negotiated with education authorities.

The Education Ministry said private schools needed government clearance to increase fees by more than 10% a year.

Zimbabwe is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980, with acute shortages of petrol, food and imports.

Inflation is running at nearly 600%, one of the highest rates in the world.

Regular state health and education services have crumbled.

St George’s College in Harare, a renowned school founded in the colonial era a century ago by the Roman Catholic Church, raised its fees for the new 12-week term by about 30% to almost four times the fees of the best government high school.