Parents, guardians to pay school fees in currency of their choice- says gvt as ZiG enters market

The Government says parents and guardians can pay school fees using the currency of their choice since Zimbabwe is operating under a multi-currency regime.

Schools in Zimbabwe open on 07 May 2024 for the Second Term and according to Circular No.10 of 2022 from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, school fees can also be paid in local currency, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG).

Schools have been given the green light to peg their fees in foreign currency, but if parents want to pay in ZiG, they can use the prevailing official rate.

Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Taungana Ndoro said:

“In cases where fees are pegged in foreign currency for value preservation purposes, parents can make their payments in the local currency at the prevailing official rate on the day of the transaction.

“The ministry emphasises compliance with this policy to ensure fairness and flexibility in the payment of fees.”

Some schools, both private and public, have a growing tendency of favouring foreign currency payments, pitting themselves against the authorities.

In most cases, these schools use parallel market exchange rates to force parents and guardians to pay fees in foreign currency.