Parents are asked to report the teachers who organize additional lessons

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, columnist
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has urged parents to report teachers who cheat them out of their hard-earned money through extra lessons, which remain illegal.

Some cases have been reported to the ministry, but in other cases parents are protecting teachers. It is therefore difficult for the ministry to investigate offenses due to the lack of witnesses. Teachers who were reported with parents willing to testify were disciplined.

The government has warned schools against holding extra classes during the holidays as they remain illegal. Some schools are reportedly misleading parents by telling them that they have been given the green light to run holiday tuition for exam classes.

Director of Communication and Advocacy at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana Ndoro said last week that extra lessons, whether for exam classes or the rest of the lessons, remain illegal.

Last year private teachers and tutors reportedly took advantage of extra tuition, charging up to US$40 per subject per month, especially for high school exam tuition, as parents and tutors were desperate to catch up with the lost time, caused by the Covid. -19 containment.

Pindula Extra Lesson Image

In an interview, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, said they had not investigated some of the teachers who were giving extra lessons because the parents were unwilling to testify. He said some teachers worked in cahoots with principals.

Edgar Moyo

“I would like to urge teachers to be ethical in their conduct and not harass parents with extra lessons. It is unfair for parents to pay tuition and also pay for extra lessons. Some teachers are not serious about teaching students in class so they may create a need for students to attend extra lessons. Some teachers only get serious during extra lessons,” he said.

He said that in cases where parents have made reports and also testified, teachers have been charged.

Deputy Minister Moyo said several teachers in Harare had been disciplined for taking extra lessons. He said parents should not despair of their children catching up to the point of paying for illegal tuition.