The opening of the 2026 first term will be accompanied by heightened monitoring and public accountability measures, as anxious parents across the country scramble to complete back-to-school preparations.
As schools reopen on Tuesday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the ministry will closely track attendance, teacher deployment, infrastructure delivery and learning outcomes.
The information will be made public for parents to access.
Speaking in an interview with The Sunday Mail, Minister Moyo said the focus this year goes beyond readiness for opening day to sustained, term-by-term oversight of how schools are performing.
“A Public Education WhatsApp Dashboard is already on the Ministry’s website, displaying key metrics: attendance rates, teacher deployment status, infrastructure progress and national assessment results,” said Minister Moyo.
“Quarterly stakeholder briefings will be held with parents, civil society, and partners. Annual State of Education reports will be tabled in Parliament.”
The move comes as towns and cities were gripped by intense back-to-school activities last week, with long queues at banks, packed clothing shops and flea markets, and parents making last-minute payments for fees, uniforms and stationery.
Minister Moyo said schools were fully prepared to open, with teachers already undergoing skilling programmes and required to submit their schemes of work by tomorrow.
“By Monday (tomorrow), every teacher is expected to have submitted his or her schemes of work to supervisors – headmasters, heads of departments and school inspectors,” he said.
He said nationwide inspections would be conducted throughout the year to enforce compliance, warning that the shortened academic calendar leaves no room for complacency.
“This year is very short. Grade Seven examinations start in September, so there is no time to waste,” he said.
As part of tighter oversight, Minister Moyo reiterated Government’s position on school fees and uniforms, warning that violations would attract swift disciplinary action.
Schools, he said, must comply with the multi-currency policy, allowing parents to pay fees in Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), US dollars, rand, pound or pula.
“What we do not want is schools forcing parents to pay fees exclusively in US dollars. That is illegal, and anyone who violates the law will be punished,” he said.
He warned against the growing practice of schools compelling parents to buy uniforms from specific suppliers.
“Schools must not force parents to purchase uniforms at the school. If they choose to run an enterprise, the uniforms must be cheaper than those in retail shops,” he said, adding that errant school heads risked disciplinary action under existing statutory instruments.
To strengthen responsiveness, the Ministry has revived command and response centres at district, provincial and head-office levels, allowing parents to report challenges directly.
“Our offices are open 24/7. Any challenges experienced in schools will be dealt with firmly,” said Minister Moyo.
Addressing concerns over delays in Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM)-related support, Minister Moyo acknowledged past challenges and said corrective measures were now being implemented.
“We acknowledge historical delays in certain allowances,” he said. “To address BEAM-related operational challenges, the Ministry is working with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to streamline disbursement timelines.
“A joint technical committee has been established to synchronise data and reduce payment cycles.”
Meanwhile, the excitement and pressures of back-to-school preparations was visible across Harare’s central business district on Friday.
The Sunday Mail observed long queues outside banks along Samora Machel Avenue, while kombis crawled through traffic-choked streets as parents rushed to beat opening day.
Some parents with children starting Form 1 were taking them to pick-up points to tavel in time for orientation processes.
At one bank, Mrs Memory Chigumba waited patiently to pay fees for her daughter, who is starting Form 1.
“It is stressful, but it is also exciting,” she said.
“She is going to a new school, a new life. As parents, we just want everything to be in order.”
Mr Tawanda Ncube said the financial burden was heavy, but unavoidable.
“Uniforms are expensive, fees are due, transport money is needed, but education comes first,” he said.
At a flea market near Charge Office, Mrs Lucia Moyo carefully labelled uniforms and a school trunk for her child heading to boarding school.
“It feels like yesterday when he was in Grade One,” she said.
“Now he is going far from home.”
Another parent, Mr Farai Dube, admitted the preparations had been draining.
“These children are stressing me,” he said.
“But, you cannot send a child to boarding school half-prepared.”
Mrs Rumbidzai Chareka said she had exhausted her resources.
“I no longer have money for pocket money,” she said.
“What I had was for fees, uniform and transport.”
The new school term marks the full rollout of the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), which Goverment says “is on track”. – Sunday Mail
