Studies: Prepare financially before sending children abroad.
The Zimbabwean government on Wednesday warned parents against sending their children to study abroad if they do not have sufficient financial resources to cater for their studies and upkeep.
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education said some Zimbabweans were getting arrested, imprisoned and detained in foreign countries for various crimes and among these were students that failed to pay their tuition on time.
“We wish to warn parents and guardians intending to send their children to study abroad that they should do so only if they have adequate foreign currency to sustain their children for the entire study period,” the ministry said in a statement.
It acknowledged that Zimbabwean students studying abroad were facing serious challenges such as payment of tuition and accommodation due to ongoing foreign currency shortages in the country.
Some students also sought enrollment abroad ignorant of the costs involved and often assumed that life in those countries is cheap and that they could easily find well-paid part-time jobs.
“When they find that not to be the case, they often undertake illegal activities to supplement their income and often end up being detained and deported,’’ the ministry said.
The ministry therefore warned parents on the proliferation of bogus education and scholarship agents who are fleecing prospective students of their money. (Xinhua/NAN)
