The Government has warned schools against forcing learners to attend unauthorised holiday classes, saying institutions that breach regulations gover...
HARARE – The Government has warned schools against forcing learners to attend unauthorised holiday classes, saying institutions that breach regulations governing vacation lessons will face penalties.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Torerayi Moyo said only learners preparing to sit public examinations in November were authorised to attend vacation lessons during the August school holiday.
For the 2026 school year, the approved classes are Grade 7, Form 4 and Form 6, with lessons scheduled for 10 days from 7 to 20 August.
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The Government approved fees of US$2 for Grade 7, US$3 for Form 4 and US$5 for Form 6 learners, or the equivalent at the prevailing bank rate in Zimbabwe Gold currency.
Speaking to ZBC News, Moyo said the ministry was concerned that some schools were ignoring the regulations and keeping learners in class throughout the holiday.
“We are disturbed by the developments happening in our schools, particularly during the holidays,” Moyo said.
He said Circular Number Seven of 2026 only permits holiday lessons for learners who will sit public examinations in November.
The minister said continuous schooling without adequate breaks could leave learners mentally and psychologically affected by fatigue.
“We have observed that if students continuously attend classes without any breaks being given, they are likely to be affected mentally and psychologically, and the result is they become so fatigued,” he said.
According to Moyo, the problem is being reported in both rural and urban areas, with some private schools allegedly pressuring parents and learners to attend holiday lessons.
He said schools were required to respect the regulations and allow learners time to rest and spend time with their families during school holidays.
“We have observed that most of the schools in both the rural and urban areas are not giving learners time to rest. They are defying government regulations on the importance of learners having time to be with their parents, particularly during school holidays,” Moyo said.
The minister warned that the directive was mandatory and schools that continued to disregard Government policy would face disciplinary action.
“We are issuing a directive that any school that is defiant of government policy will be penalised, will be punished,” he said.
Moyo also urged parents and other stakeholders to report schools that compel learners to attend unauthorised vacation classes.
The warning extends to schools offering early childhood education, with the minister stressing that young learners should also not be forced into unauthorised holiday lessons.
“The only classes that are supposed to attend holiday lessons only in August are those who are writing their final year examinations,” Moyo said.
Parents can report schools that breach the regulations through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s toll-free line 317 or at district offices.
The ministry said reported cases would be investigated and dealt with accordingly.
Government will continue monitoring schools to ensure that approved vacation lessons are limited to examination candidates and that learners receive adequate time to rest during school holidays.
