The government will not allow the colonial system of allowing schools for the rich only to prevail, President Robert Mugabe said on Sunday.

Speaking at a handover of 100 computers to 10 Harare schools at Kuwadzana One High School, Mugabe said the government would never allow private schools to increase fees without government approval.

He said there had emerged a new "Europeanized black elite" who were working with private schools to illegally increase schools fees. "We are not going to allow private schools to do as they want because we want education to be accessed by all children," said Mugabe.

There are some selfish blacks in this country who want their children only to attend private schools, excluding those who earn less, he said.

"If we allow them we will be going back to the Ian Smith system that we fought. During Smith's time schools like Arundel, Churchill and Girls High were meant for whites only," he said.

"Right now there are some blacks that want such a system to return. We will never allow that," he warned.

Private schools last week lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court over the legality of fixing school fees. They want to increase fees in line with the rise in inflation. The schools have told the government that parents have a constitutional right to run and maintain non-governmental schools.

Mugabe said the government was determined to move with trends in world education by introducing computer learning in all schools in the country.

Source: Xinhua