The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has directed all public schools to publicly display approved tuition fees, School Development Association (SDA) levies, and their ZiG account numbers at administration blocks as part of measures to curb illegal and unjustified fee hikes.
Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the directive was aimed at protecting parents and guardians from being overburdened by hidden costs and unapproved charges. He warned that school heads who fail to comply risk disciplinary action, with district-level monitoring teams already deployed to track compliance and attend to complaints.
“All fees must be approved by the Secretary after being agreed upon by parents. Schools must comply with these structures and publicly display the approved breakdowns along with the local currency account number,” Moyo said.
The minister said cases of schools demanding unauthorised payments, forcing parents to finance projects, and introducing extra hidden charges had triggered the enforcement drive.
Moyo also reiterated the Government’s position that paid-for extra lessons and Form One entrance examinations remain banned.
“Entrance exams are outlawed, and offending schools risk deregistration. Private extra lessons for a fee are also prohibited. Parents should report any such cases to our command centres,” he said.
The ministry insists that financial barriers should not prevent children from accessing education, urging schools to instead focus on adequately preparing learners for national examinations. Revision materials, past exam papers, and counselling services have been made available through ministry platforms to boost learner performance.
On curriculum reforms, Moyo said the rollout of the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) — introduced this year — is on track. The curriculum focuses on six key areas at primary level: Indigenous Languages, English Language, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Science, and Physical Education and Arts.
“The ministry is prioritising teacher capacity building through intensive training, mentorship, subject panels and digital resources. Updated syllabi will reach all schools by the end of 2025, and teachers have already been trained to align with the HBC,” he added.
He said ministry officials are conducting school visits, webinars, and public information programmes to support teachers and ensure compliance with the new curriculum.
