Staff Writer
Parents at Muvuti primary school in Bikita district in Masvingo province are up in arms with the educational institution school head after she allegedly chased away 52 pupils from Johanne Marange Apostolic sect.
The parents told The Blast that the school head, Mrs Kumbirai Zengeya allegedly chased away the pupils from the learning institute as she did not accept their way of worship.
“We were surprised to note that when schools opened for the first year term on Tuesday, 52 pupils being told by the school head to go back home and find where to continue with their education as she does not tolerate their way of worshipping,” alleged the parents“The school head is saying that she does not tolerate the worshipping ways of the Johanne Marange sect.What worries us is where are we going to find places for our kids as we have been instructed to find school places elsewhere,” said the parents.
However the school’s head, Mrs Zengeya, the school targeted pupils who had school fees arrears including those from Johanne Marange sect.
According to Zimbabwe constitution, every
Person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status and pregnancy.
interms of section 81(1)(a) of the Constitution, every child has the right to equal. treatment before the law, including the right to be heard.
Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Schools education, Taungana Ndoro said the ministry will investigate the matter
“Iwill revert let me find out,” said Ndoro.
The school head Mrs Zengeya said the issue was that they were turning away pupils who were supposed to start grade one this year but had arrears with Early Childhood Development stage.
” For pupils to be enrolled for grade one, parents should have paid up school fees for ECD, but that was not the case with some parents.Its just unfortunate that the majority of pupils we have at this school are from Johanne Marange sect who have school fees arrears, but that does not mean we discriminate upon them.
“Parents must know that for the school to develop, they need to be update with the fees,” said Zengeya.