PARENTS at Manzini Infant Practising School were taken aback when they were directed to pay top-up fees into a different bank account.
The parents said they got suspicious about the new bank account that they were directed to deposit the money into because it did not bear the school’s name. Instead, the account name is MIPS Umliba Loyembili Parents Club. The account is held at Standard Bank, the same bank as the official school account.
According to the parents, the school charges E1 200 per child, annually. This is despite the fact that the children benefit from government’s free primary education (FPE) grant which does not require parents to pay school fees.
The note states that the school committee was mandated by parents to open the bank account where they would deposit what they termed “a donation” to assist the school’s learning process. The note further states that during a meeting, the parents also elected a committee to open and oversee the new account.
The parents said before their children came back with the notes reminding them to pay the additional fees the school’s secretary contacted them reminding them of the outstanding payments.
“What concerns me is that the note from the school does not even have a stamp. I was not present at the meeting where the resolution to open a different bank account was made, so this all seems suspicious to me,” said one parent.
Another parent stated that while he understood that the disbursement of FPE grants were sometimes not made timeously, there was no need to insist that all parents, even those who did not vote for the idea, to pay extra fees. He said this was more so because some parents could not afford the set fees.
“Who will audit the new account that government does not know about? This move opens opportunities for misuse of the funds,” stated one parent.
The parents further mentioned that while they had been made to pay top-up fees for about four years now, the school has not had any major capital project that needed the funds.
“The only thing that has been done over the years is paving the school yard and building a tuck shop,” a parent said.
Further, the parents said even so, they were sometimes forced to pay the fees, especially those with children in Grade VII.
“If a parent does not pay the fees for the duration of the year, children do get their symbols after the Grade VII results are released. It is only then that parents pay the fees,” the parents said.
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The school’s second bank account is unlawful in terms of the Schools Accounting Regulations. According to Circular 6 of 2017, schools must have one bank account as per Schools Accounting Regulations. The bank account must be a current account.
“If a school is found to have more than one bank account, punitive measures shall be taken against the headteacher of that school,” read the policy.
It further provides that if a school needs permission to charge additional fees over and above the approved free primary education grant must apply to the minister of education and training through regional education officers (REO). In its application, the school must also state the project for which the fees shall be used for.
“The primary school should ensure that the cost of the project is not charged on one group of learners, but the cost should be spread to cover a maximum of three cohorts or spread to a three-year period so that it does not become expensive for one group of learners,” read the Circular.
If the school had applied for charging extra fees to cater for a capital project, the policy further provides that once the project has been completed, the school is not expected to have another project soon thereafter to allow parents and government a financial break.
“Schools are sternly advised that withholding of examination results due to non-payment of additional fees by learners is strictly prohibited. Punitive measures shall be taken against headteachers who shall withhold examination results of pupils who have failed to pay these requested additional fees,” read the same circular.
