Chikangwe High school teachers under fire for dumping learners

By ACKNOWLEDGE MAWERE

KAROI – TEACHERS at Chikangwe High School in Hurungwe District have halted formal lessons and resorted to conducting illegal extra lessons and private teaching contracts, Express Mail Zim has learnt.

Disgruntled parents told Express Mail Zim that some teachers at the boarding school have since stopped conducting their formal teaching duties in classrooms, giving their full attention and services to the students who come to their extra lessons which they charge a certain fee for a pupil to attend.

Pupils at Chikangwe are said to be spending even a week with neither a teacher stepping in the class nor receiving any work from their various subject teachers who will be busy elsewhere making a dime apart from their usual pay.

Disgruntled parents and guardians are up in arms as they feel overburdened by these teachers who are allegedly charging a fee of at least US$10 per month for each subject whilst most of them are already struggling to raise the general official tuition fee of US$300.

A parent who spoke on condition of anonymity said his daughter last had Maths lessons last term.

“We last saw the Maths teacher last term,” said the parent.

The school head Helen Nyanzira is allegedly linked to a private school called East College where he is a shareholder

He then lures her members of staff, it is alleged .

Nyanzira denied the allegations .

“I’m sorry, I have not yet heard about that. Maybe they (teachers) are doing it secretly as they know that it’s illegal,” said Nyanzira.

He further distanced himself from the rude messages that he responds to parents in a WhatsApp group

“I’m not sure if that was me. I use a Netone line for Whatsapp this Econet line is being used naMadam vangu (my wife) who is also a head at another school.”But when I’m replying in groups I couldn’t know that I’m being rough. Those are people’s opinions,” he said.