Parents Voice Concerns Over Alleged Mismanagement of Educational Tour Funds at North Park Primary School

Parents of students at North Park Primary School in Mt. Pleasant, Harare, have expressed frustration over the handling of recent educational tours by the school administration, particularly regarding a lack of transparency and unfulfilled promises.

In a complaint letter addressed to the school head, Maceda Nkomo, parents raised multiple concerns about how the trips for various grade levels were conducted.

The tours in question include trips to Victoria Falls for Grade 7 students, Kariba for Grade 6, Inyanga for Grade 5, and Masvingo for Grade 4. The letter outlined several troubling issues that parents feel need to be addressed by the school.

One major concern was the unexplained increase in trip costs. Parents noted that the price for the Victoria Falls trip rose from $250 to $300 compared to the previous year, with no clear justification provided.

They were also told the additional costs were linked to a visit to Binga Beach, but the itinerary remained unchanged, and the promised visit to Binga Beach was never carried out. As a result, parents are demanding a $40 refund and a detailed explanation from the school.

In the case of the Grade 6 trip to Kariba, parents were promised visits to National Heroes Acre and Chinhoyi Caves on the way there. They were also assured that students would be provided with takeaway meals from reputable food outlets, as a measure to improve on last year’s trip where students suffered health issues due to food prepared by a hired caterer.

However, the school head deviated from this plan by engaging a parent, Matsangaise, to provide the catering services again. Matsangaise, who does not run a registered catering business and lacks a food handling certificate, confirmed his involvement in the tours but explained that his services were offered due to his experience and the financial benefit it provided him.

The catering arrangements led to further complications, as the school administration allegedly sent staff to Mbare Musika to purchase food for the trip, which caused delays in departure. As a result, students arrived late in the evening and were reportedly hungry during the journey.

Additionally, a parent involved in organizing the tours noted that the school had ignored a district policy that requires one parent to accompany students on educational trips.

This policy was discussed during a meeting with the District Education Team, but according to this parent, the school head chose to proceed without a parent representative, which they believe may have been intentional.

Concerns also arose from the Grade 5 trip to Inyanga in 2023, where students did not visit all the destinations listed on the itinerary, leading to demands for a refund that were never fulfilled.

This year, parents were asked to pay an additional $50, bringing the total cost to $200. They were told that the extra funds would be used to buy food from the Tamarind Hotel, but once again, the school engaged Matsangaise for catering services, raising suspicions about the lack of proper documentation and certification.

Parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the Grade 4 trip, where they were told their children would stay at Lees Hotel for five days but were instead accommodated at the cheaper Hippo Creek.

They were also charged extra fees for activities that were initially supposed to be included in the cost of the trip. Furthermore, students returned to school a day early, possibly to save money, and several scheduled activities, including visits to Mutirikwi Dam Wall and Bikita Minerals, were missed.

In response, the concerned parents are calling for a full inquiry into the management of these tours, a thorough explanation from school head Maceda Nkomo, and a comprehensive audit of the financial handling of the trips.

They emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, particularly when funds have been paid in advance for specific services and activities.

Mr. Mufudzi Mafukidze, the District Schools Inspector for Harare Northern Central, acknowledged receipt of the parents’ complaint and confirmed that a team had been dispatched to investigate the matter.

He reiterated the importance of transparency in educational trips and assured that the findings of the investigation would be made available soon.