Schools conducting holiday lessons to face the music

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Writes Elvis Dumba
Chinhoyi – School authorities who are defying government directives on the ban on school holiday lessons will be dealt with accordingly.
Many schools have disregarded the directive and are forcing parents to fork out money for their children to attend the holiday lessons.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education emphasizes the importance of compliance with the directive regarding the Vacation School during the April holiday. Schools that violate this directive may face appropriate disciplinary measures. It is crucial to prioritize the well-being and independent learning of pupils during this break,” Taungana Ndoro Ministry’s spokesperson said.
Many teachers prefer to put their maximum efforts into the students during the extra lessons where they charge anything from US$ 5 up to US$ 20.
The extra lessons have taken away the students’ social life as they no longer have time to refresh and do their studies.
However, there have been mixed feelings over the ban with some parents saying the current school curriculum needs more time as it cannot be done in the normal time.
“It’s a good thing as teachers are milking us since the money they charge is theirs and if you don’t send your child for these holiday lessons, even during the normal school term, your child will not get the teacher’s attention as they will focus on those kids offering them extra money,” Lodius Mhuriro, a parent with a student at a local school said.
“I think these extra lessons help as teachers take more time with the kids and besides if these kids remain at home they end up doing drugs. The only issue is the money being demanded is too much. For example, where my school kid attends, I have to fork out US$70 for holiday lessons for a grade three holiday class,” Vivian Mhizha said
Teachers and school authorities have been accused of channelling their expertise more on extra lessons where they charge per subject than in classes that are run during normal school hours .