Africa-Press – Eswatini. The first day of school was not so welcoming for some pupils at Mbabane Central High as they were turned back for owing this year and last year’s fees, resulting in the school being owed E550 000.
Mbabane Central Headteacher, Dumisani Shabangu, said sending pupils back home on the first day of school was the most painful thing one could go through as a headteacher.
Over 50 pupils proved to be unhappy when Shabangu announced that owing pupils will be sent back home during assembly. Shabangu categorically stated that pupils who had also not paid the 50 per cent fees deposit would not be considered enrolled at the school, much to the chagrin of their parents, who tried but in vain to plead with the headteacher to allow the children into class.
Some of the parents argued that their children were under the orphaned and vulnerable children programme, and were funded by government through the deputy prime minister’s office but the headteacher remained resolute.
Shabangu said they were yet to compile the list of those who had paid so they could have the exact number of pupils enrolled.
“We cannot keep a pupil who has not paid while rejecting someone who would have paid. When we check the numbers and names of those who have paid, everyone should be aware that those who have not yet paid will be chucked out of class,” he said.
Shabangu further stated that they were running the school on a shoe-string budget and allowing pupils into class would be escalating their bills.
“We should not lie to each other by allowing pupils into class without fees because once they start learning they will not pay the money.
I get explanations daily from parents who say their children are OVC and government would pay their fees but still that money is not enough to cater for all the needs of the pupils, which is why we require them to pay top-up fees,” argued Shabangu.
Deposit
For the school to start considering the pupils as their own, the headtecaher said they needed to pay the required deposit and top-up fees so they could appreciate the parent’s commitment in their child’s education.
“Last year we had to pay our support staff half of their salaries and that was in December. The money with parents was over E1 million and the E550 000 was for those who have not paid even a single cent,” he said.
He added that some of the parents tried to pay in instalments but some were paying for the pupil’s current class, ignoring the outstanding balance.
“They owe huge sums of money and some owe the school from 2021 to 2024,” he said.
Further, he highlighted that they previously allowed pupils to be in class and had a problem of paying some of their suppliers, which was what they were avoiding this year.
Shabangu said some pupils had not been admitted because there were no more spaces despite that they had money for school fees.
Spaces
He went on to state that some parents were still searching for spaces for their children at the school, which was why they had to verify the number of those who were enrolled and those filling up spaces.
“Here at Mbabane Central, parents do not pay school fees. The most painful thing you can go through as a teacher is to send a pupil back home on their first day of school,” he said, adding that it was hard for headteachers to run schools without money.
“If the child has paid we give them stationery and everything they require, which is something that they have to get today even though some of the suppliers are still owed money from last year thus causing the delay,” said the administrator, stressing that everything would be finalised by tomorrow as some of the supplies were being delivered.
Despite these few glitches, the school opened on a high note, marking the beginning of their new academic calendar. Shabangu, during the morning assembly, encouraged the pupils to wear their uniform with pride and further compete with other schools in their results.
“When I look at the numbers compared to those of last year I would say that this year’s first day of school was positive. The pupils came back in their numbers while last year they had the mind-set that the first day of school is not busy and nothing much happens,” he said.
He added that they were going to start this year on a high note and would resume lessons today so that they could be a competing school in the city.
Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo said it was emotionally damaging on the pupils to be sent back home on the first day of school and pleaded with schools being owed school fees to try trace the parents and address the issue with them before chasing the pupil.
Nxumalo also encouraged parents to pay because some of them were not doing so because they did not want to.
He added that if parents had challenges in paying for the pupils school fees they should address them with the school or ministry prior to avoid misunderstandings.
Nxumalo further said they had not received any negative reports and complains from schools.
“Everything went well but we are still waiting for more reports because I refuse to believe that everything went accordingly,” said the minister.
He added that the different ministers would visit schools that were affected by the storms to assess the situation today.
“They will also visit schools in rural areas to monitor and attend to some of the challenges. We will start at Big-Bend,” Nxumalo said.
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