Back to Index

The right to quality education for all Zimbabwean children: Everyone's challenge
Child Protection Society (CPS)
March 25, 2009

The economic meltdown in Zimbabwe has affected various service delivery sectors including the education sector. Children have suffered most, as teachers were spending more time out of the classroom so that they could supplement their salaries. Teachers are critical to ensure that children receive a quality education. In emergency situations or during reconstruction, teachers not only enable children to continue learning but they also serve as a source of reassurance and normalcy for children and the wider community.

As focused on in previous education bulletins, the effects may not be immediate, but the situation signifies a precious time and learning gap created when children were denied their right to education. This presents a programming opportunity for CSOs in the child development sector to introduce programmes that will revamp the education sector and provide a qualitative resuscitation in education stimulus interventions that reach the child.

The Zimbabwean education system, once regarded amongst the best in the region, had been seriously affected by the macro-economic meltdown to the extent that it was fast losing its reputation of being one of the finest on the African continent and beyond.

This bulletin encourages for strategies that can be put in place to promote quality education for children to fill an urgent service delivery gap and help meet children's education rights. Agencies (e.g. communities, CSOs, local and international NGOs, relief and reconstruction agencies) in assuming the role of employer of teachers and putting in place compensation arrangements which may vary widely. Contribution in this way realizes some Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies through which the education sector can be revamped and improved as set by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)

The following are forms of remuneration which could be implemented

• Monetary compensations involving stipends complimented by other benefits such as training, food and accomodation allowance,
• Non-monetary allowances which reduce the day to day living expences of teachers and address their basic needs

Other strategies include:

• Opportunities for professional development and support, including training, effective supervision and management.
• Improved working conditions, which may involve physical working conditions, such as a manageable pupil teacher ratio.

Several further challenges have been faced as school closed and teachers downed their chalks leading to losses for children in learning time spent outside the classrooms. The problems bedeviling our education system cannot be tackled in isolation and they cannot be viewed outside the larger macro economic environment prevailing in the country. In order to be sustainable, strategies need to take into account market forces rather than simply reaching agreements between donors, education authorities and other employers of teachers. This is particularly pertinent in situations where teachers are mobile and thus are more likely to move in response to market forces, attracted by higher wages even if it means they have to cross borders or potentially not return to their country of origin.

Revamping confidence in the education system requires efforts, not only from the government but also from all facets of society. Strategies for ensuring that teachers are appropriately compensated are vital in attracting teachers to the profession,retaining them and keeping them motivated to provide quality education. It is important to note that an established system for teacher compensation increases teacher motivation, helps to stabilise the education system thus effecting control, professionalism and accountability, decreases teacher absenteeism and high levels of turnover, protects the investment made in teacher training and increases the quality and availability of education for children.

With the passage of the Government of National Unity it is time for all policy-makers, CSOs and individuals must come together to play their part in ensuring that the right to education for children is ensured. Several interventions should be put in place immediately to encourage the strenghtening of our education system and to meet the government's targets towards attaining the MDG2 on "Achievement of Universal Primary Education". CSOs should therefore realign their programming focus and introduce projects aimed at ensuring the right to education for orphans and other vulnerable children in all provinces of Zimbabwe. Of note are the immediate government efforts to upgrade the remuneration of teachers in foreign currency and various efforts by School Development Associations (SDAs) to further supplement teachers' salaries through independent fundraising efforts.

Visit the Child Protection Society fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP