MORE than 400 private schools in Harare face closure for operating without licences, while several others which are hiking school fees without government approval will not be allowed to open.
Statistics from the Harare Provincial Educational Directorate revealed shocking details with more than 400 private schools and colleges offering ECD to A level studies operating without licences.
Harare Metropolitan Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti has since given the unlicenced schools 48 hours to regularise their operations or risk being shut down.
“We have discovered that over 400 schools are operating without licenses, they are doing so in breach of the Education Act. This puts at risk the future of thousands of students who could fail to write their exams. This will not be allowed to continue while government sits and watch,” Muguti said.
Mr Muguti also read the riot act for all learning institutions unilaterally hiking school fees in defiance of government directive to seek approval.
“All schools in Harare be it private or public who are hiking schools without 2022 approval from government will not be allowed to open. We call upon those who are doing so to consult parents and seek approval from government.”
According to a list provided by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the bulk of schools in Harare defying the government directive on fees are private schools, while a huge number of unlicenced learning institutions are in medium and high-density suburbs.
