Bulu High School in Mangwe district has once again caught the ire of parents after authorities at the government-run boarding school demanded that parents contribute more money towards the purchase of food supplies for its learners.
Last month, the school appealed to parents who were yet to clear outstanding fees to pay so the school could source food for the learners.
The latest appeal has irked parents who feel the school authorities are fleecing them of their hard-earned cash.
The school had a meeting on Saturday and it was resolved that parents pay additional fees of US$35 or R525 to purchase bread, beef, mealie meal, pay outstanding water and electricity bills, and salaries up to the end of term on 17 December.
In a notice addressed to parents by the school’s development committee, the parents will have to pay R725 for groceries.
It is reported that when parents tried to address the issue through a WhatsApp group meeting, the headmaster Raymond Mguni allegedly changed the group settings to block the parents from commenting.
“During a meeting on Saturday, parents were told to pay R525 towards food on top of the R250, bringing the amount to R775,” said one parent.
Another parent questioned why they were being made to pay for the teachers’ salaries.
“Before the meeting, we had requested for an agenda, which we never received but now we are being told to pay R775. As it is when checking the grocery list, it covers the salaries inclusive of bonuses which is US$5254 so whose salaries are those, thus what we want to know,” he said.
“As parents are we the ones paying the teachers’ salaries, all along why were we not paying those salaries, and on top of that the day scholars are not being included in these amounts, we are being robbed.”
Contacted for a comment, the school headmaster Raymond Mguni declined to comment.
“I don’t speak to CITE journalists, I don’t know which agenda you are pushing, stop it,” said Mguni.
