Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Council of Student Teachers (COST), says some student teachers who have just completed teaching practice risk being sent packing by their colleges for non-payment of fees.
COST has appealed to the government to intervene and ensure that student teachers in fees arrears are allowed to continue with their studies.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com on Sunday, COST president Walter Muzamani criticised teacher institutions for demanding exorbitant fees. He said:
We are facing serious problems with teacher training institutions over demands for outstanding fees covering the period of teaching practice.
Most trainee teachers could not pay up as they were adversely affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Apart from that, the trainee teachers were receiving a paltry US$1.50 as their monthly allowances during the period but the institutions have become so inconsiderate to the extent of turning away students and even ordering them to defer their studies.
Muzamani said Belvedere Technical Teachers College and Morgan Zintec College are among the institutions that have been tough on trainees.
He said on average, students were owing around $29 000 for the period.
Instead of sending students away, Muzamani suggested, among other things, that colleges should allow them to complete their studies and then make them pay when they start working.
