He said that when school fees was re-introduced, the ministry thought it would have problems of payment in rural schools because of the high rate of unemployment in the countryside. But contrary to expectations, it is urban schools that are posing problems. He singled out Marang Junior Secondary School in Gaborone for its poor record in payment of fees. Nkate said that it is painful to send children home after their parents failed to pay school. But he added that he has no sympathy for parents who deliberately refuse to pay school fees. He accused some parents of hiding behind his statement last year that no student would be sent home for failure to pay school fees. He said some parents took this to mean that they can choose to pay or not to pay fees.
The minister slammed parents who cry they cannot afford to pay school fees yet they give their children a lot of money to make their hair and buy cell phones. "My conscience is very clear. I am not happy about the situation but I am not sympathetic to parents who deliberately refuse to pay," he said.
