By FLAVIOR CHISHALA –
GOVERNMENT has fixed user fees for all public schools countrywide to enable more children to attain decent education.
General Education Permanent Secretary Chishimba Nkosha said the move had eliminated disparities in the user fees charged by various schools inspite of operating in the same environment.
Mr Nkosha said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the Government had taken cognisance of the fact that schools were not only situated in different areas, but also had different needs.
He said effective next week, all pupils in public boarding schools would be paying between K700 and K1, 000 as user fees depending on the needs of a school and the kind of diet an institution chooses.
Mr Nkosha also said all day scholars would be paying between K200 and K500 as guided by the principles of the needs of the school and its locality.
“To arrive at this decision they must take into consideration the socio-economic situation of the environment where schools are situated,” he said.
Mr Nkosha urged school boards, Parents Teachers Associations, and school managers to use good judgement in charging user fees that parents and guardians could afford.
He implored all the provincial education officers to supervise the approved fees.
The permanent secretary also appealed to private schools and grant-aided institutions to emulate public schools and be considerate when fixing fees for their learners.
Meanwhile, Mr Nkosha announced that some school authorities had made temporary arrangements to allow pupils from schools whose roofs were blown off to be worked on.
He said the ministry of General Education was organising resources to repair the damaged buildings.