School fees drives students to streets and 'masimo'
CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer
| Thursday November 22, 2007 00:00
Moupo told Parliament that this is clear evidence of the negative effects of the new policy on school fees. 'Given that Botswana is a middle-income country, characterised by a classical paradox of rich country-poor citizenry, there is no rational justification for imposing a heavy burden on the poor by trying to collect P60 million from them, while the Government does not hesitate to splash P20 million in building a retirement house for the President. The Ministry of Education returned P600 million of unspent development funds to the Ministry of Finance,' he said.
Zuze said the number was of the students sent back the first time. 'The majority collected the money and returned to school, while 91 absconded even after being told to return even though they do not have the money,' she said.
She revealed that a total of 50 students were compelled to leave school in the Central District Council, 16 from the northern schools and 33 from the west whilst not a single student was lost in the south.
Zuze stated that the school authorities made follow-ups and some students said that they were working and refused to go back to school.
'Others have gone to work at the lands while others refused to be helped by the social workers even when advised by the school management to do so,' she said.
She further indicated that other students refused to go back to school before payment of school fees was made, even though the school management advised them to do so.
'Some refused just because they were being teased by their counterparts who paid up,' she said.
School fees were introduced again last year as a cost sharing measure after almost 20 years of free education. Parents are expected to pay P300 at junior schools, P450 at senior and P750 at tertiary institutions.